While material on this web site can be used freely by other sections of the press, as a courtesy, journalists are asked to attribute the source of their material from this web site.

Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl+home to return to the top of the page.

---

1st Saxons
2nd One Family
3rd Valley Boys

Freeport - Saturday 1 January, 2000

1st Classic Dancers
2nd Swingers
3rd Mystique Warriors
4th Majestic Crusaders

BOXING DAY JUNKANOO RESULTS
Nassau - Monday 27 December, 1999

1st 5170  One Family
2nd 4942  Saxons
3rd 4862  Valley Boys
4th 4720  Roots
5th 4188  Music Makers
6th 3992 Barabbas & The Tribe
Photos are from Boxing Day Parade in Nassau. Top is a One Family costume (Tribune); another One Family piece in close-up from the Guardian and a Guardian shot of celebrity entertainer Stevie Wonder enjoying the Boxing Day Junkanoo parade in Nassau.

HUBERT INGRAHAM IS NOW DECLARED THE VILLAIN OF THE CENTURY BY THIS COLUMNIST.  HE IS THE BAHAMIAN WHO WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS HAVING DESTROYED BAHAMIAN DEMOCRACY, FRAGILE AS IT WAS.  On the other hand Sir Lynden Pindling goes down in history tied with Sir Milo Butler as the greatest Bahamians of the 20th century.  Sir Lynden for leading the country into majority rule and to independence.  Sir Milo for setting the pace of the march toward majority rule, when it was unpopular to do so.

OUR VILLAIN OF THE YEAR has created a false crisis.  You will remember that he promised to downsize his Cabinet by the end of the year.  Well, following the dismissal of Pierre Dupuch as Minister of Consumer Affairs and Aviation, and the resignation of Tennyson Wells as Attorney General, we are able to report that the knife has been put to the Cabinet.  Just how much butchery has been involved we are unable to say.  But what we know is reported below.  The Prime Minister expects to speak to the nation on Tuesday 4 January.

The Leader of the Opposition began the new year by breaking with a tradition that he has followed for over a decade, that of dining on New Years with a group of friends that includes Dr. Marcus Bethel, Dr. Bernard Nottage, Dr. Ronnie Knowles.  They rove from one person's home to the next, each year.  Mr. Christie decided to break with that this year and start a new trend.  He had a huge souse and boil fish do at his own home, to which he invited his friends and political colleagues.  This is part of the new strategy to get the PLP into a war mode starting 1 January.  We look forward to that fighting machine, getting up and going.

We wish you all a happy and prosperous new year.  We had 26,493 hits up to midnight 31st. December.  Please keep reading!

WHO IS IN AND OUT OF HUBERT'S CABINET
The Prime Minister on Thursday 30 December and Friday 31 December, had all his Ministers in one by one, lined up in his office like school boys.  He was telling them who was in and who was out.  We know for sure that Lester Turnquest (pictured) resigned his position as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Health.  It was a forced resignation. His only sin: supporting Tennyson Wells.  It had nothing to do with competence.  Ministers of State who are reportedly out but on their way to other jobs: David Thompson, the Minister of State for Public Service has been forced out and is headed to be Chairman of the Bahamas Industrial Agricultural Corporation; Anthony 'Boozie' Rolle, Minister of State for Public Enterprises is out and is headed toward the Chairmanship of the Bahamas Development Bank; Vernon Symonette, the Minister of State for Local Government is out.  No word on where he is to go.   The report is that Algernon Allen has gotten a big boost. He gets the Department of Immigration which is to be taken away from Teresa Moxey-Ingraham who has been an unmitigated disaster in that Ministry. Earl Deveaux who has been a disaster in the Ministry of Agriculture is said to be headed toward being Minister of Education.  No word on what Dame Ivy, the present Minister is to do.

WHO'S OUT IN THE SENATE
The Prime Minister has also made his move to butcher his Senate team as well.  Reportedly out are: Senator Roston Miller, FNM Secretary General.  Mr. Miller is an outspoken critic of the Government and a strong supporter of Tennyson Wells.  For that, he is reportedly out. Others who are reportedly out are: Senator Daphne Duncombe-Cooper, as Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Finance.  It is said that Mr. Ingraham called her and told her unceremoniously that he had nothing for her to do. It is not certain whether she will get to keep her Senate seat.  Others who are out of a Senate seat are: Calvin Johnson, the Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism.  He has been dumped and offered a job as Consul General for The Bahamas in Miami.  Senator Pauline Cooper-Nairn has been forced out because she no longer lives in Freeport on a full time basis since her marriage to Permanent Secretary Archie Nairn. No word on whether Senator Darren Cash survived the cut.

THERE WAS BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR
These are just the reports that were available to us up to publication time.  But our correspondents tell us that the Prime Minister is not finished yet.  No word on whether or not J. Henry Bostwick (shown at left) is to leave the Senate to become Chief Justice.  One PLP woman has told the PLP's leader that if that happens, she will take to the streets in protest.  The Bostwick appointment would be of serious concern to the PLP because it would mean that the spouses of two FNM cabinet ministers are on the bench.  It would be incestuous.  The Prime Minister's butchery is reportedly not finished just yet.  We warned our friends in the FNM that this is an illogical and manufactured crisis.  The Prime Minister is trying to create a distraction.  He wants to remain in office.  He is trying to take out the FNM and replace it with his third force allies. He wants to recreate the third force out of the FNM.  The next step is to orchestrate a series of bye-elections.  One of them may be precipitated by the fact that Janet Bostwick may still go to Government House, if Henry her husband going to the bench proves to be problematic. The present Governor General is not ready to go and he is telling his friends that he intends to be there all of next year and beyond. Jimmy Knowles, the silent Minister of Transport, is to be forced out and a bye-election held in Long Island.  This is all musical chairs.  It has nothing to do with anything but a pure political distraction designed to take the public's mind away from the failures of the FNM and Hubert Ingraham in office.

CHRISTIE'S THEORY
The Leader of The Opposition's view of what has happened in Mr. Ingraham's Cabinet is that the Prime Minister has picked on the weak and the helpless. The only people who got fired are those who can't do him anything. It shows you the kind of man Mr. Ingraham is.
 
 

THE AIRPORT AT GOVERNOR'S HARBOUR, ELEUTHERA
Bahamas Fast Ferries has a catamaran called the Bo Hengy that cruises at 40 miles per hour and gets you over to Governor's Harbour in two hours.  It is comfortable and fast. It seats 177 people and the round trip costs $139. Not so Bahamasair. Bahamasair, the national flag carrier has been canceling flights and leaving passengers stranded in Eleuthera.  The news from Governor's Harbour is not good.  While Hubert Ingraham was busy spilling the political blood of his colleagues over the dance floor, the airport in Governors Harbour was without lights.  It has been that way since the hurricane.  Lights have been at Governor's Harbour since the earliest days of the PLP. On Sunday 26 December, two tourists were injured and had to be trucked over pretty bad roads to North Eleuthera's airstrip, which has lights.  This was to enable them to be airlifted to Nassau for medical treatment. Is the Government going to wait until there is a disaster before they do something? Our informants report that the two Eleuthera representatives are so weak that it is useless appealing to them.  They have no power and can do nothing.  It is time for the PLP to get moving and push them out of office.

BAHAMASAIR CANCELS GOVERNOR'S HARBOUR FLIGHTS
Two Sundays ago, on 21 December, Bahamasair was late coming into Governor's Harbour as usual and had to cancel their flight because there are no lights on the strip. The staff at Bahamasair were ordered  to bus the passengers to Rock Sound, where there are lights. But when the passengers got to Rock Sound, they found out that Bahamasair's Rock Sound flight had also been canceled.  So Bahamasair Nassau then ordered the passengers bussed back to Governor's Harbour and they paid for tickets on the Bo Hengy to Nassau by boat.  You know the saying: if you have time to spare, fly Bahamasair.

PARADISE ISLAND FIRES TENNIS PRO
Randy Knowles (pictured) has worked for Paradise Island through its various corporate guises for 18 years.  Now he has been summarily sacked because his boss, a non national named Michelson, has taken a dislike to him, and has someone else lined up for his job.  Literally, the man was fired for taking a lunch break.  This is the kind of disgraceful act of discrimination that is being perpetrated by Sun International against middle management at Paradise Island.  In a statement to the press Mr. Knowles spoke about how he was being forced out by a foreigner, and that he has to leave his country, withdraw his children from school and sell his home at  fire sale price.  We think that this is a disgrace.  The pity is that Sun International is so powerful that they are able to continue the kind of slave milieu that they have without any interference from the Government. Mr. Knowles said middle management generally have serious work complaints about Paradise Island. There is virtually no one to whom you can appeal.  Mr. Knowles reports that his former boss Michelson claims that he is Sol's boy and whatever Sol (that's Sol Kerzner, the owner of Paradise Island) wants, Sol gets.

MICHAEL JORDAN AT PARADISE
Bahamian casino dealers are none too happy about the tips that the basketball great has been leaving at the casino tables.  For Mr. Jordan, Sol Kerzner's Paradise Island, is a favourite haunt. He has been there without interference from people or press some three times in 1999.  He spent the Christmas season in part at the Paradise casino tables.  The trouble is that Mr. Jordan is reportedly a stingy tipper as in he does not leave a tip at all.  So while the young ladies revel in dealing the cards to Mr. Jordan, please Mr. Jordan make sure and leave a tip: it's the custom and that's how they make a living. Informants say that when the world-famous basketball star enters the casino, dealers alert one another by saying "Look out, here comes wingy again!"

MICHAEL MOSS AND FREEPORT POWER
Super boss Edward St. George, the taipan of Freeport, is said to be worried about the increasingly sharp breakdown  in communication between Michael Moss, the CEO of Freeport Power and the two trade unions that represent both the line staff and middle management.  The company has been suffering from the bad relations. The management style is said to be too imperious and too secretive. Everyone admits, though, that Mr. Moss is one smart cookie, but it's the people skills that are a problem.  The spending policies are thought to be too penny pinching.  Mr. Moss is the husband of Willie Moss, Chief Counsel for the Grand Bahama Port Authority.  Mrs. Moss is a St. George favourite and sister of Minister of Foreign Affairs Janet Bostwick. This presents a sticky problem for Mr. St. George.  The Union is calling for Mr. Moss' head on a platter. We await the outcome. Freeport Power is a publicly traded company.  Its share value has been stuck around 11 dollars for too long. It's time for something to happen with this share value.

GOMEZ AND GOMEZ REPORTS
Craig and Andy Gomez have been in their own business for more than half a decade. They are two good men. They have made a success of being an accounting firm and a firm of brothers at that, Black Bahamian blood brothers.  That's the first plaudit.  But more importantly, they represent a class of Bahamian entrepreneurs who are charged (whether they know it or not) with transforming the wealth of The Bahamas into a boon for black people.  They have ten to fifteen years more to do it.  They are joined in the fight by men like Anthony Ferguson, Ken Kerr, Larry Gibson.  This generation of Black Bahamians is the first to turn away from law and look directly to the money field as a means of wealth creation. If they do it right, and make the formal and informal linkages and alliances perhaps they will help to broker a generation of Black non-beggar politicians.  Last week, the brothers Gomez presented a report by their international affiliate Horwath International on hotel occupancy and room rates.  The picture is a rosy one, with hotel executives being optimistic about all the factors going into making hotels a success.  That should be important information for The Bahamas Government to note in its public policy for the 21st century on tourism. The brothers are pictured.

BEWARE OF FAKE BAHAMIAN BANK NOTES
The Tribune reported on 29 December that Bahamian police seized $12,546 worth of forged Bahamian notes in 1999, compared to $2,950 in 1998.  This has caused the Central Bank to issue a series of warnings to the public.  According to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Detective Matthew Edgecombe, Bahamians are getting more sophisticated in their techniques and are experimenting with other notes than US currency.  The consumer should be more aware.  According to CID the paper of counterfeit note is usually smoother than the normal note, and the security features are missing.   There should be a black pencil-like line that runs through genuine notes, and an imprint of a ship on the right of the notes.  That is missing in the forgeries.  Also no genuine note begins with the serial letters BD.  Detective Matthews is pictured with some of the counterfeit notes confiscated by CID. It is a Tribune photo.

HANGINGS TO TAKE PLACE 6 JANUARY
The Ingraham Government, punch drunk from its own incompetence, plans to have a hanging to bring in the new year.  They could not exercise their blood-thirsty lust in time for Christmas but they have time enough for the new year.  David Mitchell and John Higgs whose appeals have been exhausted are to hang together with a third person on Thursday 6 January 2000.  What a wonderful present this blood-thirsty government is giving us for the new-year. Read last week's synopsis of the Privy Council judgement about the state of the judiciary in The Bahamas.  The dissenting judges said that The Bahamas Government has lost the right to execute the two men.

ST. JOHN'S NATIVE BAPTIST CHURCH FREEPORT
It appears that the Prime Minister in the middle of his butchering exercise of the cabinet did not have the time to find out who the Reverend Godfrey Williams (picture Freeport News) was.  Rev. Williams who leads the 1500 member congregation of St. John's Native Baptist Church in Freeport at the direction of his church imported trailer loads of food for the needy.  He asked the Prime Minister directly for tax relief to bring in the food.  The Prime Minister gruffly refused and insulted the man in his usual goat on the board floor fashion.  It backfired badly.  The Prime Minister heard from every MP and church leader in Grand Bahama this week after Forrester Carroll, the former PLP candidate made the issue public.  He accused the Government of a double standard between Hutchison Whampoa, a foreign company doing business in The Bahamas on the one hand and a Bahamian church on the other.  Within hours of the letter being published Mr. Ingraham relented.  We guess Mr. Ingraham now knows who Rev. Godfrey Williams is and won't forget the name quickly.

DAME IVY SMOKIN' MAD AT BAHAMASAIR
The employees of Bahamasair are circulating a letter written by Dame Ivy Dumont, the Government Leader in the Senate. She attacked the employees of Bahamasair and said that the airline must inevitably fail.  She was angry that she was prohibited from taking a carry-on bag on a flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau. Dame Ivy wrote the Deputy Prime Minister who is also responsible for Bahamasair about it, and the Deputy Prime Minister's Permanent Secretary wrote the Chairman of Bahamasair recommending disciplinary action against the employee without a hearing.  Stay tuned.

IT'S NOW SIR WILLIAM ALLEN
The news is all around town that William Allen, the hapless Minister of Finance, has been knighted by his buddy Hubert Ingraham.  God only knows what for. Mr. Ingraham keeps going around saying what a wonderful job Bill Allen has done for The Bahamas as Minister of Finance. Wonderful compared to what?  You cannot call the juggling of the books, cooking the figures, the wink and nod, sleight of hand, voodoo economics that Bill Allen practices successful fiscal policy. Mr. Allen happens along at a time when the US economy is going great guns and the economy can't help but look successful.  But with all this success, the Treasury still can't meet its obligations to small businessmen on time; the schools are still in need of repair since the hurricane; and the roads in New Providence are in terrible shape.  Anyway, the FNM's whole strategy while in office is to grab every post, medal, honour, office, dollar that they can get their hands on before they get kicked out of office.  The bet is that Bill Allen wants to get out while the getting is good.  He is an expert at smelling the winds of change.  In that regard he is better than his predecessor in office - that other knight, Stafford Sands - who predicted that as sure as the sun would rise the UBP would win 24 seats on the eve of the 1967 election.  Of course, we know how history treated him.  Hey wait, isn't that the same fellow that the nation's chief slave wants to put on the ten dollar bill.  Maybe that's what's in store for William Allen as well.  The pundits say that Bill will announce the budget is balanced in June and then demit office to make way for Brent Symonette as the new Member for Montagu.

NEW ACTING COMMISSIONER OF POLICE
Paul Farqhuarson is now the Acting Commissioner of Police.  He replaces Erold Farqhuarson who filled in for B. K. Bonamy on study leave. The newest Mr. Farqhuarson is in his early 50s and he is expected to get the substantive post.  Mr. Bonamy insists that he will return.  There was a hand over ceremony on Wednesday 29 December. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister were there but not one person from the opposition was invited.  And this is to be the new dispensation. The Tribune photo shows the one Acting Commissioner passing the ceremonial sword of office over to the other Acting Commissioner. We shall see what happens now.

PROMOTIONS ON THE POLICE FORCE
The Police announced the promotions of 139 people on the Force up to the rank of Assistant Commissioner.  This came just as a new Commissioner was taking over, and it was supposed to herald a new era of openness, accessibility and transparency to the Commissioner's office.  Allan Gibson, a Chief Superintendent is now an Acting Assistant Commissioner.  Quin McCartney who was a Deputy Superintendent is now a Superintendent, so is Alfred Bullard.  Nothing for DSP Mike Ellis, though.  He is a faithful police officer, but they believe that he is PLP and so will not get a promotion under this group.  Philip Wilson, the outspoken Sergeant who attacked Commissioner Bonamy in the press was promoted to Acting Inspector.  Franklin Campbell, the Chairman of the Police Association has been promoted to Sergeant from Corporal.  But in the main, the police are still unhappy about the promotions. It is still seen as a political exercise: where kisses go by favour. The Police Review Commission from the UK recommended a new system, which was tried for the first time. The ranks with vacancies were advertised, the qualifications were posted.  The police officers then applied and there were certain objective criteria that had to be met.  But according to many only one criteria needed to be met and that is that you are an FNM supporter.  Clearly that is not the case in every case, but the perception of political bias remains.

THIS WEEK AT KRISTI'S
Condolences this week to Junior Grant of Eight Mile Rock and his daughter Heather on the tragic loss of her baby son - Junior's grandson.

The Quotes of The Week: -  "You Have unleashed a Tiger, and I hope that you are able to contain it" prophetic words from Sir Lynden Pindling, former Prime Minister, election night August, 1992... "This Man (Ingraham) Is Dangerous For Democracy" former Minister of Consumer Affairs & Aviation Pierre Dupuch, after his dismissal from the Cabinet.

This week, Kristi's was closed for the Christmas holidays, but the regulars made up for it at neighbouring Geneva's and otherwise, there was plenty of political news to be had across Grand Bahama.

Alliance Between Wells-Allen Forces - It seems that Hubert Ingraham has unwittingly been able to do with the FNM what no leader has been able to do to date; that is to bring the many factions of that party together. Most FNMs on Grand Bahama after the firing of Pierre Dupuch agree with Dupuch that Ingraham is a dangerous man. While no one would admit this on the record, we have been informed that an alliance has been forged between would-be FNM leaders Tennyson Wells and Algernon Allen. One of the results of this alliance is that the Prime Minister was forced to allow Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Health Lester Turnquest to resign rather than being fired. The Prime Minister was also forced by this alliance to back off Transport Minister Jimmy Knowles altogether. Our informants also said that if Hubert is to receive his full pension as Prime Minister, he must be in office at least until August of this year. If the Wells-Allen coalition is unable to bring Ingraham in line, they have threatened to bring the roof down on everyone. The message seems to have been received loud and clear. Last week we reported that the head count for the Ingraham opposition in the FNMs Parliamentary group stood at at least a solid five. With all that has happened that head count has risen dramatically.

Why Fire Ministers? - One dedicated FNM onlooker observed that if Ingraham was looking for reasons to fire Ministers, he need have looked no further than Finance Minister Bill Allen. The hapless Allen allowed the disintegration of Gulf Union Bank and for that it appears he is to be given a knighthood. Theresa Moxey-Ingraham Minister of Immigration has yet to tell the public what happened in the fiasco where untold numbers of Cubans and others walked out of prison, nor has Mrs. Moxey-Ingraham been forthcoming on missing work permits. Certainly not least is Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson and the 2 Defence Force vessels which can only patrol in deep water in a country whose very name means 'shallow waters'.  These boats, in a country of 700 fabled islands can dock only in Nassau or Freeport. Our onlooker also harked back to the still unanswered question: where is the $135,000, gone in the Bahamasair leasing scandal with no account yet given?

Grand Bahama Stands Behind David Thompson - FNM troops in Grand Bahama are reporting in four-square behind reportedly fired Minister David Thompson. The commonly held view is that the Prime Minister will move to appoint one of two failed women candidates in Grand Bahama to the Senate and also ease one of these same women into position for the seat in Marco City. One spokesman said "we accept that it is the Prime Minister's prerogative to appoint or fire whomever he wishes, but if he intends to take David's seat for 'that woman' we'll give it to the PLP first... you know we'll do it!"

FNM Special Call -  The FNMs Grand Bahama troops have been summoned to Nassau for Tuesday coming. They were al tight-lipped about the purpose of the meeting, but a knowledgeable insider told our correspondent that there is a plan afoot to deal with Hubert who is intent on troubling his own house. Stay tuned.

While material on this web site can be used freely by other sections of the press, as a courtesy, journalists are asked to attribute the source of their material from this web site.

Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl+home to return to the top of the page.

---

Hubert Ingraham, the Prime Minister, was at it again trying to fool us that he had downsized the cabinet.  Like the usual goat on the board floor style that he exhibits, he went to Government House to what the Guardian called the swearing in of the new FNM senators.  The Prime Minister spoke about the 'right sizing' of the Cabinet at Government House, about a so-called deep bench at Government House.  This is just so boorish.  Not at Government House, Prime Minister.  Politics is supposed to be left at the front door.

As for those Cabinet changes.  We were largely right in what we predicted last week.  There were a few minor changes that we did not foresee.  There is a full report on those changes below.

The other major news in the country is that, notwithstanding the condemnation of our system by two Privy Council judges, and notwithstanding the condemnation of hanging by the Anglican and Roman Catholic Archbishops, the Government went ahead on the feast of Epiphany and hanged David Mitchell.  John Higgs took his own life the night before and therefore cheated the hangman.  We have a full report below.

We wish to give our thanks to Eva Bailey Schaffner for hosting a party for children and especially the children of the Fox Hill area.  We show a picture of Mrs. Schaffner with Senator Fred Mitchell and with Pastor Timothy Stewart of Bethel Baptist Church.  A fine time was had by all just before Christmas.  Click here for more pictures.

We had 8,318 hits to this site for the month of January up to midnight 8 January.  Please keep reading.

THE CABINET CHANGES
The Prime Minister has reduced the cabinet he says to 15 members, down from 20.  He has taken out two senators and replaced them with two new FNMs.  In the cabinet, out went Vernon Symonette, Anthony 'Boozie' Rolle and Dr. Earl Deveaux.  Each had been abject failures in their ministries.  Mr. Symonette is considered a good ole boy, and went into early retirement a happy man.  He is to be an ambassador at large.  Mr. Rolle presided over the failed privatization of Batelco, and is alleged to have spent many days and nights on the carpet at Hubert's house begging for his job.  Then there was Dr. Deveaux who the Prime Minister had earlier praised as the best Minister of Agriculture the country ever had.  It's funny then, that agriculture in The Bahamas collapsed under Dr. Deveaux.  Mr. Rolle is to become an ambassador overseas, and there was speculation that he will step down so that Dr. Hubert Minnis can run in the Carmichael seat he vacates.  The strange one though is the case of Dr. Deveaux.  Now get this foolishness.  The Prime Minister says that Dr. Deveaux is to become the new Ambassador for the Environment and head of the BEST Commission: Bahamas Environment Science and Technology.  The PM says that for the next nine months Dr. Deveaux is to come out of the Cabinet to develop a new Ministry of the Environment and in nine months he will rejoin the Cabinet.  So then we'll be back up to 16.  But what is so stupid about that is he created a brand new Ministry for Theresa Moxey-Ingraham , a hopelessly incompetent Minister who failed at every previous Ministry that she has been in.  She is the new Minister of Commerce and Agriculture.  That Ministry was created overnight, so clearly you don't need nine months to develop a Ministry.  This Prime Minister takes us for fools.

THE TWO NEW FNM SENATORS
Lynn Holowesko has finally wangled her way into the Senate.  She has been chafing at the bit ever since her defeat by George Smith in  Exuma in 1992.  The Prime Minister had first to get rid of a minor irritant.  That person was Roston Miller.  The Leader of the Opposition described the group of which he is a part as the weak and the helpless.  Mr. Miller has been a bit outspoken about the faults of the Government but a great supporter of Tennyson Wells.  For that he got the sack or in polite language, he was asked to resign and he did. He is a loyal party servant.  Mr. Miller blacked out shortly after the news and spent some nights in hospital trying to find out why he blacked out.  That's the worst thing that could have happened at this time.  Now everyone is saying that he fainted when the Prime Minister told him the news.  Mr. Miller denied it.  The Prime Minister then secured a favour from one of his main men Desmond Edwards.  He fixed Mr. Edwards up with a similar salary of $12,500 like the one he got as a Senator. He is to become the non-executive Chair of  the Broadcasting Corporation, replacing Mike Smith who became the Parliamentary Secretary for Broadcasting and Information.  Mr. Miller got nothing.  Lester Turnquest got nothing. Edwin 'Vikey' Brown is shown at left with Lynn Holowesko at right.

INGRAHAM A WORTHLESS INGRATE
Boozie Rolle is said to have saved the Prime Minister's house from going to the auction block when the Prime Minister reportedly was having trouble meeting his commitments in those days in Opposition.  He was given the boot by the Prime Minister.  Roston Miller was the first Free-PLP candidate, the first FNM.  He ran in 1971 against the PLP in Central Andros at a time when the PLP was at the height of its power.  He caught eternal hell under Pindling.  Now he gets the boot from Ingraham for supporting Tennyson Wells.  You can tell the measure of a man by how he treats his friends. You can guess we have a low opinion of Hubert Ingraham.  What he did to Roston Miller and Boozie Rolle is unforgivable.

LESTER TURNQUEST TELLS THE PM OFF
The Prime Minister was sitting at his pompous best in his room.  He asked to see Lester Turnquest, the then Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Health on Tuesday 4 January.  The questions he asked were, not what new job would Mr. Turnquest like but rather how the two men became so estranged. "Well," explained Mr. Turnquest, "I was taught by my mother not to kiss up under people."  This must have been news to Mr. Ingraham since he clearly has no 'broughtupcy'.  Then Mr. Turnquest had a question for the Prime Minister: "Is it your intention to fire me?"   "Well," said the Prime Minister, "it looks like it has come to that but can we work out a compromise."  The Prime Minister also wanted to know why Mr. Turnquest travelled to Freeport to support Tennyson Wells.  Mr. Turnquest asked: "What kind of job?"  "Well, "said the PM, "I would like to offer you the Chairmanship of a Board, think about it and get back to me."  At five p.m. Mr. Turnquest revisited Mr. Ingraham to give his resignation.  He was about to leave without mentioning the Chairmanship.  "Well," said a stunned Mr. Ingraham, "What about that chairmanship?"  Mr. Turnquest replied; "I have taken care of my mother and my family to this point and I would do so tomorrow.  And a good day to you sir."  Good for Lester! That's how you treat a lowlife. As he left, a police officer said to Mr. Turnquest, you are the only one around here smiling.  Mr. Turnquest replied with a twinkle in his eye: "It's all right, my brother."

HOW DAVID THOMPSON GOT SAVED
Up to press time last week, it was almost a sure bet that Mr. Thompson was gone.  But we knew that something was up when later on publication day for the web, Mr. Thompson himself proclaimed in public to his friends that the job being offered as Chairman at BAIC was unacceptable.  The Freeport voters must have made their voices heard because, Mr. Thompson is now a full-fledged Minister.  He now is the Minister for Local Government, Sports & Culture.  Great going Mr. Thompson.  The Prime Minister was supposed to have announced these changes from Friday 31 December but could not because of the resistance of the FNM members.  Other Ministers of State who have been promoted to full Ministers are Carl Bethel as Minister of Economic Development and Dion Foulkes as Minister for Labour and Maritime Affairs.  Such a cobbled up Cabinet. The only Minister of State left is the little kiddie Minister Zhivargo Laing.  He is number two in the Ministry of Education, under Dame Ivy who plainly has plans to go nowhere fast.

INGRAHAM HAS SAVED NO MONEY
The Prime Minister was hoping to convince the country that he was saving us some money by the so called downsizing of the Cabinet.  Who is he fooling?  Everyone who has been removed has a job waiting for them somewhere else in the Government.  It is the same Treasury paying money to them.  It is clear that this is a weak and patronage-prone Government, guilty of excesses more than Pindling could ever have done.   We hope that young Black Bahamians now see that this is a man who does not represent their interests.  How else can you interpret the appointment of Lynn Holowesko?  The question on everyone's lips is; what does Mr. Ingraham owe these people? He tried to dress it up with some foolishness about raising the level of female representation to fifty per cent in the Senate to reflect the level in the country.  Then you had that idiot Oswald Brown who runs the Nassau Guardian following suit with a patently stupid argument.  We hope that Bahamians now see the light.

SCHOOLS IN BAD SHAPE IN ACKLINS SAYS ROKER
Loftus Roker has been living in Acklins since he retired from national politics. He served for three years as the Local Government representative before he was cheated of victory at the polls by corrupt Government influence on the election.  But the country looks forward to the once popular Minister for Immigration writing occasionally in the press.  Now he has written a disturbing missive published in the press on 4 January.  He writes: "In September the new school year began in The Bahamas. In Acklins, education started out in a chaotic state.  At the end of the term in December, education was still in chaos. There are three primary schools in Acklins and one so-called high school.  At the beginning of the term, there was no high school principal and no principals at the primary schools at Lovely Bay or Snug Corner.  The third primary school at Salina Point opened on time and was staffed, but the school has been overcrowded for years, and the teachers have been complaining without relief.  The heart of the problem is the high school students at Pompey Bay.  Students are leaving the Acklins High School and are unable to fill out a job application."  These are sad words from the former Minister.  This is that FNM Government for you.  Better! Better! Better for whom?!

THE HANGMAN PAYS A VISIT
David Mitchell was a Haitian-Bahamian barely literate.  He was born in Abaco to a Haitian mother.  He was convicted of murdering a German couple almost five years ago.  He was hanged on Thursday 6 January.  He was supposed to have been hanged along with John Higgs who had been convicted of killing his second wife. Mr. Higgs took his own life at 11:40 p.m. the night before he was to meet his fate.  A Coroner's Inquest was convened at 2 p.m. on 6 January to discover how he did it.  So far, no instrument has been found, but the doctor says that he cut the radial artery on his right wrist and 20 minutes later having lost 2.2 litres of blood, went into irreversible shock.  That was that.  That spoiled the party.  The real question though, is the inexcusable negligence of the prison where there was supposed to have been a 24 hour watch.  In a final note to the Bahamian people, Mr. Higgs called his execution a political act.  He also thanked the 10 p.m. watch for allowing him to commit suicide. Remember that 74 people broke out of the prison last year.  Who is accountable?  We understand that Philip Turner, the Prison Superintendent, was called in by the new downsized Cabinet and given hell for the suicide.

ALGERNON ALLEN REMINDED OF UGLINESS
No doubt the Minister of Idle Poetry aka Minister for Social Services was feeling happy this week.  He had managed to duck and weave and bob his way in a rope-a-dope fashion with the Prime Minister. He got a promotion becoming Leader of the House of assembly in the Cabinet reshuffle.  But you remember some weeks ago, 1 December to be exact, Lady Patricia Isaacs, widow of Kendal Isaacs wrote decrying the ugly attacks she claimed had been made against Algernon Allen .  She said that she had asked her late husband about these attacks when he was alive and her husband denied that any of them were true and felt that Mr. Allen was a good man. Well Francesca Moss reminded Lady Isaacs of another bit of ugliness, this time the ugliness perpetrated by Mr. Allen against the Rev. C. B. Moss.  In the press on 4 January, Ms. Moss wrote: "I wish to point out to Lady Isaacs and the nation that Mr. Allen is tasting a large dose of his own medicine, for it was on Thursday 29 April 1993 that Mr. Allen launched an ugly attack upon the Rev'd C. B. Moss in the House of Assembly, calculated to besmirch his name and his contributions to our Bahamas.  At the time and for nearly seven years that have followed, Rev'd Moss has been calling for an official public investigation to clear his name.  Why does not Mr. Allen call for an official public investigation to clear his name, especially with him being a public figure."  Interesting point. The implication is maybe he can't call for such an investigation.

TENNYSON WELLS ON THE WAY
While Hubert Ingraham was busy right sizing his cabinet, Tennyson Wells was busy marshalling the forces against Mr. Ingraham.  He was up in Freeport counting heads.  Mr. Ingraham, is also counting heads.  So far though, one can't tell who is ahead.  The disappointment with the recent Cabinet change is how quickly Hubert was able to whip all those who oppose him into line.  He called a Parliamentary meeting on 7 January and told them of the changes.  Not a whimper from the crowd.  Then he called a Council meeting, not a whimper from the FNM Council.  They are obviously a bunch of pussy cats.  Well we understand that at least one man thinks that Hubert's moves were good moves that man was the former Prime Minister Lynden Pindling who reportedly said so on a radio programme.  God Bless him!

CREDIT CARD FRAUD IN THE BAHAMAS
Detective Constable Matthew Edgecombe at CID was in the news again this week.  Last week, he was warning about the use of counterfeit money in The Bahamas.  This week he was warning merchants about the use of bad credit cards.  He asked merchants to be on the lookout and be vigilant for credit card fraud in The Bahamas.

THE NATIONAL DEBT
The Central Bank's Quarterly Report for the first quarter of the year 1999/2000 shows that the national debt its now 1.8 billion dollars.  The Government's overall deficit is 23.6 million dollars.  So what exactly are we crowing about the recently knighted William Allen.  We call him hapless.  Do you agree?

NASSAU GUARDIAN GETS IT WRONG AGAIN
Inside the newspaper on Friday 7 January, Oswald Brown who thinks of himself as a newspaper editor was waxing eloquent by following Hubert Ingraham's party line that putting Lynn Holowesko in the Senate was somehow a blow for equal representation for women.  It was nonsense of course.  Mrs. Holowesko's appointment was simply another payoff to the Bay Street merchant group.  This is obviously an important debt that Mr. Ingraham feels duty-bound to pay. Of course, he feels no such obligation to his brother Anthony Rolle or to Roston Miller.  Nevertheless, Oswald Brown that erudite sycophant  was explaining to Leader of the Opposition Perry Christie how he must move to do the same in the Senate for the PLP.  Never mind that Oswald Brown is a stone cold FNM who is opposed to Perry Christie's leadership of the PLP; wants Bernard Nottage to be leader. This fool thinks that he can offer advice. There is nothing worse than a man who does not know that he is a fool.  The headline on the front page though shows it more than we could tell it.  The headline reads: GG SWEARS IN NEW SENATORS.  No, dummy! The swearing in of Senators takes place at the Senate when that body next meets on 10 January.  All that happens at Government House is the presentation by the GG of the instrument of appointment. Of course, we criticize Government House as well.  The Prime Minister comes to Government House and makes a patently political speech about the FNM and its intentions as a political party, quite inappropriate. Of course what the Prime Minister's speech revealed is that he does not intend to leave office any time soon.  He predicted that he will be changing his Senate team again in October to prepare for the next general election he says.  Is this a man who is going somewhere?

NEW COPYRIGHT ACT COMES INTO FORCE
The Copyright Act which was passed by Parliament in 1998 came into force on 4 January 2000. Musicians and other artists that have been lobbying for a change in the law seem now to be happy.  The new act has already led to the close of a number of video shops in New Providence.  The new act carries fines of $50,000 for violations of copyright.  The artists were upset that the act did not come into force before the junkanoo parade. Question: to whom does the intellectual property rights belong in a junkanoo costume?

THIS WEEK AT KRISTI'S
Quote of the Week:    From an Eight Mile Rock FNM invited to sit at breakfast with Tennyson Wells and group: "Im gun shy. I can't even talk to the last contender who invited me to sit, because his bodyguards would shoot me now."

Wells Forces In Grand Bahama - FNM Intrigue Deepens - This week FNM leadership contender Tennyson Wells caught the Ingraham forces off guard when he turned at Kristi's Wednesday morning with a contingent of supporters from New Providence in tow.  Mr. Wells invited the whole Kristi's crew to a boilfish breakfast at the neighbouring FNM pit stop Geneva's, our correspondent included. A certain local FNM official immediately warned Mr. Wells that a correspondent for This Week at Kristi's was among the group, however the invitation stood.  During the breakfast that followed, however, the group was on its best behaviour and not one errant word was spoken. Of interest, a quote from FNM MP Floyd Watkins: "I never say anything that I can't stand by."
    Private Meeting Later - Later that evening however, many of the same people were joined by several others in a local hotel suite reportedly for a high level meeting of the committee to elect Tennyson Wells. Ingraham informants were posted in the lobby and began to take names. "We now know who the key people are and will act accordingly"  Watch for Government employees to be warned and whipped into line and others either intimidated or eventually bribed with favours.

    Wendy's Meeting - Continuing his campaign swing Tennyson Wells met with the FNM group which patronizes Wendy's where he was generally warmly received. Responding to points of view that his exit from the Cabinet would leave supporters open to being picked of by favours from others which he could no longer deliver, Wells maintains that FNMs are too independent for that to work. Hmmm.

    Agents on the Inside? - Reliable sources in Nassau say that by Saturday, the very same FNM official who Wednesday warned Tennyson Wells to watch his words with our correspondent was enjoying sheeptongue souse at the prime minister's residence. Reports say that inducements have been offered if he can see his way clear to "tone down" his political support for his candidates... Hmmm.

Thompson Hosts (Victory?) Party - Newly appointed full-fledged Minister David Thompson threw a huge beach party for his loyal supporters in Grand Bahama this week... Everyone there seemed to be sighing with relief. The party was billed as a thank you for the overwhelming support he was given through his difficult period.

    Out on a Limb - One of Minister Thompson's erstwhile supporters now finds himself in an awkward position. After hearing that Thompson was to be dismissed, he immediately jumped ship and started bad-mouthing the Minister. The Minister now knows who this man really is.

Pelican Bay Nears Completion - The Pelican Bay hotel (the old Lucayan Bay on the Lucaya Strip) is nearing the completion of renovations. Observers have noted that this project was started in late July with an all Bahamian crew. By contrast, observers say the Lucayan Beach project owned by Hutchison Whampoa which has far more resources than the owners of Pelican Bay, has been effectively stalled for almost two years, and that the government seems to be taking a hands off approach. This raises the question of whether this project is being stalled for completion at the time of the next national election campaign. It would  be a cruel act the people of Freeport.

While material on this web site can be used freely by other sections of the press, as a courtesy, journalists are asked to attribute the source of their material from this web site.

Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl+home to return to the top of the page.

---

It appears that Hubert Ingraham is able to tell any lie, do anything and say anything.  It goes unanswered effectively by the whole population. His abuse of our system goes far beyond anything that Sir Lynden Pindling could ever have envisaged. There is widespread disgruntlement but still no effective cap on the behaviour.  The Government has been described in another venue as impervious to public criticism.  That is putting it mildly.

Perhaps the Bahamian public, and especially our friends, ought to stop looking for the perfect solution.  Perhaps they have started to help to build that solution.  It must start from the premise that there must be Opposition to the present Government.  The question is, will support of an effective Opposition make the governance of The Bahamas better?  The answer to the question must be yes.  The PLP is the only potentially viable organization in sight.  We would urge you to support it, and if not, identify individuals within it that you can support.  Those individuals properly supported and in a proper alliance can then build a better party and we can have better governance.  We urge you to think carefully about it.

This week, we continue to examine the fallout from the political changes of last week in the country.  We also examine the economic data and events that were revealed during the week. We carry in full the annual Review of the Judiciary.

We had 15081 hits on this site up to 15 January at midnight.  Please keep reading.

BAPTISM BY FIRE FOR LYNN HOLOWESKO
The new FNM Senator thought she could waltz into the Senate with her new colleague Edwin 'Vikey' Brown, get sworn in and have a smooth day.  That is what the FNM thought as well.  Hubert Ingraham, the great script writer,  thought that by spinning  this nonsense about equalizing the number of women in the Senate with the number of men and that this reflected the situation in the country, that he could ease the public criticism.  The fact is that Senator Holowesko's appointment was a payoff to the Bay Street interests.  When will he ever pay off his debt to them? The PLP moved a resolution on Senator Holowesko's first day in the  Senate to request a select committee to examine the environment.  Can you believe that the former Ambassador for the Environment, the former President of the Bahamas National Trust voted against the Committee?  And so history shows that the first vote of Senator Holowesko was to vote "no" on the environment.  She is the one who said that when she got to Parliament she would use it as a platform to promote the environment.  On her first day she failed the test.  This only means that she is a good and blindly obedient FNM just like all the other FNM senators.  When it comes to a choice between principle and the FNM, the FNM wins out in the end. She is pictured being sworn in on 10 January.

THE GREEK CHRISTMAS
The Tribune reported on 10 January that  fourteen year old Anthony Miaoulis surfaced with the ornamental Greek cross at the Western Esplanade on 9 January in New Providence.  The Tribune photo is shown.  This is an annual tradition of the Greek Community.  According to the Orthodox Tradition of the Greeks, Christmas is on what we in the west call Epiphany. An Archbishop of the Greek Church visited The Bahamas for the ceremony.  He is pictured with Anglican Archbishop Drexel Gomez:
 
 
 
 

REVIEW OF THE JUDICIARY
This columnist presented the 10th annual review of the Judiciary. It was carried live on MORE FM on 10 January.  The review was delivered under the Fig Tree in front of the Supreme Court.  The tree was shorn of many of its leaves because of Hurricane Floyd but it is still standing. The review can be found in full by clicking in this spot.  It covers a  number of areas of the Judiciary. The Chief Justice claimed in her annual review of the Judiciary on 12 January that the court ignores its critics but it was interesting to see her call for the Court to engage in public education about what judges do, and also for work to be done on the physical infrastructure of the Courts ( The Guardian 13 January).  These are all suggestions by her critics. Like this Senator.  We shall continue to ignore her ignoring us and continue to criticize. Pictured at the traditional toast following the Review of the Judiciary are from left Mr. Calvin Brown, Attorney Jeanne Thompson and Senator Mitchell. Chief Justice Dame Joan is shown at the opening of the legal year.

ALLYSON GIBSON ON THE JUDICIARY
We welcome Allyson Gibson's column in The Nassau Guardian in which she discusses the loss of independence of the Judiciary (Friday 14 January).  It is about time the Progressive Liberal Party and its members take this question of the independence of the Judiciary seriously.  The fact is that Hubert Ingraham has played fast and loose with the Judiciary.  The Chief Justice has unfortunately not asserted her authority over the system.  Judges appear out of thin air without any explanation about where they came from.  The Chief Justice was able to make a statement that there was a notice in the press for vacancies for judges and magistrates but no one came forward from The Bahamas (Bahama Journal 13 January B Section).  Mrs. Gibson was able in her column to name several persons who can be judges, and one expects with the right coaxing they will in fact serve.  The problem is that as a matter of policy we want to call upon foreign judges to serve in this jurisdiction.  It is all too easy.  This columnist again calls for an amendment to the constitution to make it impermissible for Judges to be non-Bahamian. Once again congratulations to Mrs. Gibson. Pictured by The Nassau Guardian is the opening of the legal year with Chief Justice Dame Joan inspecting the Honour Guard.

FLU EPIDEMIC HITS THE BAHAMAS
The Ministry of Health Officials have warned the country that there is a flu epidemic about.  The Bahamas is not unusual in that regard in that hospitals in Britain and Europe, the United States and Canada have been stacked with influenza patients. There are some 1000 cases reported for the first two weeks of the month. The flu strain is said to particularly virulent with at least two reported deaths from heart attacks associated with the flu. Persons who get it are advised to treat it carefully, get rest and drink plenty of fluids.  There is no quick way to knock the flu out as they like to say around here,  you have to let it run its course, by resting and drinking those fluids.

RAID ON NATIONAL INSURANCE FUNDS
We have to make the point here that we as an Opposition party have to raise our voices against the continued raids on the National Insurance Fund.  National Insurance was a  programme started by the Progressive Liberal Party which was to have in place a pool of funds for the retirement of those who worked all their lives and had no other pension funds available to them.  It does not matter much for persons of means but for people who have no other means National Insurance is a godsend.  The problem is that because you have a pool of funds - close to a billion dollars - the Government cannot resist raiding the fund.  Now the Prime Minister has announced that he is building a Police headquarters with National Insurance money.  No explanation was given as to how National Insurance money could be used legitimately to do so.  Chances are what will happen is that National Insurance will advance the money to build the building and the Police are to pay rent, naming it as an investment of the National Insurance Board.  The only problem is that these things often turn out to be mere book entries.  The Police will never pay the rent and the rent itself will not be a true economic rent.  The result will be that National Insurance monies will never get repaid and the fund loses.  Inevitably by the time those in their forties and even twenties get to retirement there will be no National Insurance money because the Government will have raided it all.  Something has to be done to raise the alarm and to stop Mr. Ingraham from getting his greedy fingers on National Insurance money. One suggestion is that the PLP ought to put into its platform that it will allow Bahamian financial investment advisors to invest National Insurance money overseas, up to 20 per cent of the fund.  The interest earned from these investments can then be used on the speculative projects on which  the Government is now spending the funds.

THE PRIME MINISTER ADDRESSES THE NATION
The Prime Minister bored us all with his so-called national address reviewing the year 1999 and predicting what will happen in 2000 (Thursday 13 January).  First, the address was much too long and filled with too much minutiae, designed no doubt to convince us that he is an intelligent man.  He reminds you of those pictures with a man standing in front of library of books, looking intelligent but with the book in his hand held upside down, only because he can't read he does not know that the book is upside down.  So all the figures quoted by the Prime Minister can't impress us.  We all know that it was Bill Allen, the hapless knight who is now Minister of Finance, who supplied them anyway.  Mr. Ingraham would not know a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) if it jumped out and hit him.  Doesn't have a clue.

OTHER POINTS IN PM's ADDRESS
Major roadworks contract will be awarded by April to fix the roads and build new ones in New Providence.  A new detention centre at Carmichael Road should be completed his year.  The Prison at Fox Hill is to get a new 80-cell unit. A new Hospital is to be built.  So: Spend! Spend! Spend!  The National Debt has increased to 1.87 billion dollars.

THE PM ON THE DEFICIT
Apart from the speech being boring and long winded, it was patently dishonest.  For example, in order to cover up the fact that there is going to be another budget deficit this year on the current account, the Prime Minister said that he expects that the Government will have a deficit for 1999/2000 which is 1.3 per cent of GDP as opposed to 1.4 per cent last fiscal year.  Why does he not tell us the figure?  Don't give us this foolishness about percentage of GDP.  That's only designed to hide the truth from us.

INGRAHAM CALLS FOR AN END TO MEAN SPIRITEDNESS
We almost fell off our chair.  The original Mr. Scrooge.  The Grinch that stole Christmas.  An ill-mannered boor who will pull the wings off a butterfly and take pennies from old ladies is giving advice about Bahamians being mean spirited.  No doubt it was kind spirited to ignore the pleas of Lady Knowles, the wife of the former Chief Justice, in a personal letter written to the Prime Minister, for financial help.  No doubt it was kind spirited to hang David Mitchell on the feast of Epiphany in the face of protests from the church.  No doubt it was kind spirited to fire Roston Miller as Senator without providing some alternative means for the man to make it.  Jesus once told a physician in the Bible: heal thyself.  That is the best advice we can give to Mr. Ingraham.

THERESA MOXEY DOWNSIZES THE PRIME MINISTER
They say that Theresa Moxey-Ingraham definitely had her political head on Mr. Ingraham's chopping block.  She was slated to return to the back-benches.  She should have.  She has been a miserable failure as a Minister in every Ministry that she has had.  But you know loyalty is the test for Mr. Ingraham now.  So when she was called in and reportedly told that she would be leaving the Cabinet she was heard exclaiming: "I knew Tennyson was right! Tennyson was right! I should have listened to Tennyson."  By Tennyson, she was of course, referring to Mr. Ingraham's rival for power within the FNM, the former Attorney General Tennyson Wells. The clear message was that if she did not survive in the Cabinet, she would be headed to Tennyson Wells' side.  The Prime Minister was so stunned that he backed off.  Instead she has survived with a bigger and better Ministry.  She is now Minister of Commerce and Agriculture.

WHAT HAPPENED TO EARL DEVEAUX?
The question on everyone's lips is, how did Earl Deveaux end up on the back-benches after the Prime Minister boasted that he was the best Minister of Agriculture ever?  Well we know, of course, that this was wrong.  Agriculture collapsed in The Bahamas under him.  But we thought loyalty was the ultimate test to Mr. Ingraham.  Certainly Earl Deveaux and his wife can be described as the political groupies of the PM, strong supporters of the Prime Minister.  According to our informant, Earl Deveaux was to have been Minister of Transport but something happened which we can't quite understand, and he was out.  Was it the allegations of conflict of interest that were revealed by the PLP?  What we do know, is that right after his dismissal from the Cabinet, Earl Deveaux took off for his North Andros constituency, which he won, by 68 votes in 1997.  He is in big trouble there.  He no longer has a Ministry to back him.   He told The Tribune that he was looking forward to his new job as Ambassador for the Environment - yeah right! He and his cousin, that idiot Ozzie Brown who runs The Nassau Guardian, were busy with a public relations programme. Earl Deveaux was spread over the pages of The Guardian for two days, telling us what a good job he did as Minister of Agriculture.  Yeah right!  What political observers are wondering now is whether or not we will continue to see Mrs. Deveaux in the gallery of House of Assembly every time the Prime Minister speaks, now that her husband has gotten the sack.  We await a report.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF NO-TAKE FISHING ZONES
The Department of Fisheries has been given the green light to establish five no-take marine zones.  These areas are in addition to the no-take zones for grouper that were announced in December.  These areas apply a more general ban on the taking of marine life.   The areas for no-take are: North Bimini, portions of the Berry Islands and the Exuma Cays, South Eleuthera and the Northern Abaco Cays.  The zones will be protected from fishing and consumptive use.  The question must be asked whether or not the fishing community has been consulted about these zones, and will they co-operate in maintaining them?  The Royal Bahamas Defence Force: does it have the resources to police these zones?  One response from a fisherman is that the Defence Force does not have the resources to protect these zones.  The result, says the fisherman, will simply be that the Bahamians will obey the law but Dominican, Cuban and Cuban-American fishermen will continue to fish with impunity and no one will be there to stop them.

JOHN HIGGS, THE MURDERER: HIS BODY RELEASED
The Coroner's inquest continues into the death of John Higgs who committed suicide rather than face the gallows.  Mr. Higgs was discovered the day before he was to be hanged.  His right wrist was cut and he bled to death.  The spectre was raised in Court that someone in the prison assisted him with the death.  He left a message thanking the 10 p.m. watch and added : "No name, no blame!"  The Coroner Winston Saunders signed an order allowing Her Majesty's Prison to dispose of the body.  He said that he was bound to do this by law, ignoring an application from the family to have the body released to them. Mr. Higgs was buried in an unmarked grave by the state on Friday 14 January.  He was discovered with a slashed wrist on 5 January.

PM ON NEW TAX STRUCTURE
Each year there is a Business Outlook Seminar.  This year the Prime Minister was its opening speaker on 10 January.  Unusually, the Prime Minister who has forgotten his Negro roots, claimed that Majority Rule Day (10 January ) was an important day in Bahamian history.  Coincidentally even Senator Lynn Holowesko of European ancestry got into the act on 10 January at the Senate when she, too, said it was an important day in Bahamian history. This is revolutionary for a white Bahamian.  She claimed that she was in Governor's Harbour, Eleuthera on that day working for the election of an independent candidate to the House of Assembly. Read into that: I did not support the dreaded and racist UBP in 1967.  But back to the Prime Minister.  The Tribune reported a cryptic comment made by him in his address to the seminar that the tax structure of The Bahamas will have to change.  What, pray tell, does the Prime Minister mean?  Are we to get income tax?  When is this tax structure going to change?  Why must it change?  It was typical of an Ingraham address.  A cryptic statement and no follow up on what he meant.  The best guess is that with the Free Trade of the Americas (FTAA) negotiations ongoing, this will mean that customs tariffs have to disappear.  The Bahamas depends on these tariffs for seventy per cent of its revenue. The PLP needs to say what it will do.

COLINA PREFERRED MAKES CHANGES
The Colina Financial Group has completed the revamping of its mutual find and will reintroduce the fund to the public shortly as the Colina-MSI Preferred Mutual Fund.  The fund was originally started by Owen Bethel prior to the Mutual Funds legislation of The Bahamas.  The Fund now complies with all the provisions of the legislation and is ready to be traded on the Bahamas Stock Exchange.  The announcement was made by Anthony Ferguson (pictured), the President of Colina Financial Advisors Ltd. A new offering memorandum has been prepared and will soon be available to the public. According to Larry Gibson, one of the principals of Colina Financial Advisors, the fund is an open-ended fund which means that you can buy into the fund at any time.  Ken Kerr, a financial advisor, continues to be an advisor for the Fund.  Anthony Ferguson is pictured.   The Colina Fund was quoted at $1.60 per share on 11 January.

PAUL MAJOR TAKES OVER AT BAHAMASAIR
His friends are concerned for his survival.  How can anyone in their right mind want to take over Bahamasair, which seems an intractable problem, a  morass that no sane person can manage.  But that is what Paul Major, one of our best brains, and the man credited with turning the Bahamas Development Bank into a profitable operation, has decided to do.  He has taken over Bahamasair.  He has a  new Chair, Fred Gottlieb, and a new Board of Directors.  Will this make a difference?  William Allen, the hapless Minister of Finance, who was given the portfolio responsibility, ought to know that it will make no difference. He used to be the Chairman and Deputy Chairman under the PLP and was responsible for the present mess that the airline is now in.  In fact, it is he who said that it would take someone who was insane to run the airline.  He like all the other politicians before him promised that there will be no political interference.  The best laid plans of mice and men - you know the rest. While we wish Mr. Major the best, Bahamasair needs to be sold into the private sector.  It cannot continue as it is presently constituted;  the fault is institutional, not the problem of a personnel change. Add to that the FNM rank and file waiting for Mr. Major to fail since they accuse him of being a PLP.

AUDLEY & AUDLEY CELEBRATE MAJORITY RULE
Former Senator Audley Hanna and his son Audley Jr. are in the construction business.  The father is a strong and resolute PLP.  His business is doing well.  So on the 10 January he held a party at the Southerner's Lounge, Blue Hill Road to celebrate the 10 January and Majority Rule Day.  It was a grand time with former Prime Minister Sir Lynden and Lady Pindling as the honoured guests.  It was this columnist's privilege to introduce Sir Lynden.  In the introduction, he was described by this columnist as the colossus that strides over The Bahamas. Present also were the Leader of the Opposition Perry G. Christie and Dr. Bernard Nottage.  Sir Lynden spoke about Black Tuesday and how it was executed.  In a final comment he talked about the old Pindling- Hanna combination.  With Dr. Nottage and Mr. Christie standing around him he said that : "Here we have another Pindling-Hanna combination but we don't realize it and we are fooling around with it."   Pictured by the Nassau Guardian's Patrick Hanna is Sir Lynden with from left Hon. Perry G. Christie, Leader of the Opposition; Dr. Bernard Nottage, Messrs. Audley Hanna Sr. and Jr.:

BAHAMA JOURNAL PREDICTS TWO BYE-ELECTIONS
Wendall Jones who is the Publisher of The Bahama Journal has a direct line into the office of the Prime Minister, so long as the Prime Minister is speaking to him.  When that fails, he has a direct line to the always Machiavellian Algernon Allen, another Minister of the Government - the so-called Minister of Idle Poetry.  So when Mr. Jones published in his paper on 13 January that Anthony 'Boozie' Rolle, the sacked Minister of Public Enterprises is to resign his seat in favour of Dr. Hubert Minnis within the next three months, people took notice.  Dr. Minnis for his part is denying it to this friends but he won't be the first or the last would be politician to make such a denial.  The question is what will the PLP do?  Mr. Rolle is said to have accepted the post as Ambassador to the UN, replacing Maurice Moore  who is coming home.  Robert Sweeting, the MP for South Abaco which includes the Marsh Harbour settlement, is said to be ready to step down as well.  Michael Bethel who is in the Senate is set to replace him.  The question again is: what will the PLP do? RUN PLP RUN!

MANUEL DIAZ IN TROUBLE IN MIAMI
The Miami Herald reports that Manual Diaz is being sued by Miami-Dade County for losses as a result of dead trees sold to the county and the city (Sunday 9 January B Section). The county filed a claim last week against a 3.1 million dollar performance bond posted by the company to support a contract which the company had with the county. The Herald quoted Senior Assistant Country Manager Merrett Stierheim as follows: "We are in a position now of having no contract and a bunch of dead trees."  The potential loss to taxpayers in the country is said to be $131,000.  Manual Diaz is the gift horse of Prime Minister Ingraham who claimed that Diaz was donating 10,000 trees to The Bahamas but charging us $2 million to plant them.  The Prime Minister referred to the trees again in his national address. He said that some 6000 of the 10,000 trees that Diaz is to supply have been planted.  He did not say how much it cost us in lost telephone lines and bad roads. On two occasions, Diaz's men cut telephone lines to the loss of businessmen.  Mr. Ingraham claimed in his address that by importing  the trees he was trying to create a veritable garden on our roads.  He did not say how the trees are being planted without an apparent plan, and too close to some roads causing a traffic hazard.  We paid $2 million for 10,000 "donated" trees.  The Prime Minister claims this was a bargain.  Lying again Prime Minister!

GWENDOLYN HOUSE STAFF SEMINAR
The staff of Gwendolyn House headed by Senator the Honourable Fred Mitchell gathered at the Seal Cay Room of Paradise Island's Beach Towers recently for a day long seminar to update the team on future plans and to review internal procedures. The seminar was organized by Julian Brown, former Deputy Principal Manager of Lloyds Bank. It began with a devotional period by Pastor Cedric Moss of Kingdom Ministries and included a short talk on Company Law and feedback from client Ken Perigord. Rawson McDonald, who is now a Consultant Attorney to Gwewndolyn House also atended the seminar as did Public Relations Consultant Al Dillette who spoke about Marketing and Public Relations. The political staff of Senator Mitchell were also present. Seated from left, Pastor Moss, Senator Mitchell, Mr. Julian Brown and Mr. Rawson McDonald. Standing from left are Mr. Terrence Bethel, Accounting Consultant; Ms. Joanna Greene, Trustee - Fox Hill PLP; Mrs. Calisse Barry, Mr. Lee Travis Davis, Mrs. Katherina Henderson, Mr. Garfield Burrows, Mrs. Agartha Lynes, Mrs. Kayla Wilmott, Treasurer & Office Secretary - Fox Hill PLP; Ms. Janeile Pinder and Mr. Stan Smith.

THIS WEEK AT KRISTI'S
The FNM Jury Is Still Out on Majority Rule Day:   Too little and very late is the way PLPs in Grand Bahama characterized Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham's belated recognition of the significance of 10 January, 1967 when the PLP won the general election and took control of our Bahamas from the white minority.  FNMs in Grand Bahama, however, are predictably divided in their reaction to talk of properly recognizing this national milestone. Some say that it's just a PLP day, while others believe that we shouldn't talk about it at all. One FNM, whose friends say he should know better, volunteered the opinion that we are only sowing the seeds of discord with our white minority brothers so we ought to "leave well enough alone". He is reminded of the adage that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.  Our Nassau Guardian picture shows Sir Lynden and Lady Pindling at a Majority Day celebration at the Southerners Lounge in Nassau. From left are Ms. Rose Whymms, Sir Lynden, Lady Pindling and former Bahamian baseball great Andre Rodgers. 

Grand Bahama PLP Awakes: This week the PLP on Grand Bahama roused itself from what many have perceived as a deep sleep.  On Monday 10 January, the party held a celebration at PLP House in Freeport featuring two of the 'Grand Dames' of the PLP here, Mrs. Regina Curtis, Stalwart Councillor and Mrs. Anne Grant, wife of the late Senator Austin Grant. Mrs Curtis was featured on ZNS news, speaking to the issue of discrimination and recalling how eight families ruled the whole country. "If by chance you opposed any of them, you could find yourself in dire straits."  In the talk that followed around the city, it became evident that many young people could not even begin to imagine the scenario of discrimination which existed in The Bahamas before 1967. The lesson of God as he allowed the children of Israel to wonder the desert for forty years after leading them out of Egypt, and to enter the promised land only after the freed slaves had died is clear. Once in bondage, a slave can only be a slave, looking for a master, and this is the obvious dilemma of the FNM, released from bondage, but still possessing all the attributes of enslavement.

Naming Names  - Drama in Kristi's this week as a local Ingraham general - a captain in a hotel coffee shop - joined the breakfast table especially to report that he had taken down the names of all who attended former Attorney-General Tennyson Wells recent private meeting in the Princess Tower Hotel and would be "reporting back to the chief". Dead silence descended and one FNM politico paled in complexion. Another, this one a mid-level Government Ministry employee, was so troubled that he couldn't finish his chicken souse.... he quickly excused himself from the table. Terror rules the day in the day in the FNM.

Wells' People Not Pleased - A leading organizer for would-be FNM leader Tennyson Wells is condemning the hotel's handling of Mr. Wells' visit here last week, and apparently blaming Ingraham forces within the establishment. There were no specifics, but we are reminded of how quickly political fortunes can change. Four days before the FNM's victory in 1992, a local FNM MP was locked out of his business office in Freeport for non payment of rent. One week later that same MP was a Minister of Government and - through his portfolio - the largest tenant in the same complex from which he was locket out. In today, and out tomorrow.

Kelly The Diplomat? - Has our friend Kelly Burrows has been holding out? We are informed - albeit by one of his detractors - that powerful FNM insider Kelly Burrows is being considered for a foreign office posting abroad. When asked about the report, Mr. Burrows, in true diplomatic fashion side-stepped the question...hmmm. The whole matter, however,  was apparently put to rest by Mrs. Angela Burrows - better half of this same Kelly - who quickly told our correspondent that she, too,  had hear those reports and that Kelly "isn't going one step".  One wonders how someone as used to the good life as hotel executive Kelly could even dream of supporting the standard to which he has become accustomed on a foreign officer's salary.

While material on this web site can be used freely by other sections of the press, as a courtesy, journalists are asked to attribute the source of their material from this web site.

Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl+home to return to the top of the page.

---

The PLP's Leader Perry Christie visited North Eleuthera and then South Eleuthera during the last two weeks, touring sites of various complaints and getting in touch with the generals.  If there are two seats that can be won by the PLP they are the seats in Eleuthera.  But we need to identify candidates and we need to start working now.  This is all the more so since election fever is in the air in The Bahamas, a full two years before the term is up.  The FNM simply seems unstable. Tennyson Wells, the former Attorney General is now in a full court press to succeed Hubert Ingraham.  He knows that Mr. Ingraham can't stand the best bone in his body, and has gone to great lengths to destroy the people who support Mr. Wells. This is all out war, guerilla fashion.

In the Senate, the PLP exposed the exchange of letters written by Minister of Education Dame Ivy Dumont about Bahamasair.  As we reported in this column at Christmas time, Dame Ivy wrote that the collapse of Bahamasair is inevitable.  She wrote this letter to her Cabinet colleague.  More on the response below.

We are writing this week's column from the city of Freeport.  The city's economy is still down in the dumps and there are many complaints from persons here about the transitions in the economy.  On the one hand, you have the principals of the Grand Bahama Port Authority who think that all is well and rosy and everyone should be happy.  On the ground, people are scrapping to make a go of it.  It is a real tale of two cities.

And we got to actually visit Kristi's this week ourselves with our correspondent.  At the table for breakfast were Tom Martin, 'Iron' Mike Edwards, Talmadge Pinder, and Brian Seymour our correspondent.  Dennis Martin stopped in for a short while.  Lot of teasing about whether or not Dr. Nottage is going, and whether Tennyson Wells is going to win, and who is an Algernon Allen man (that's Iron Mike) i.e. after Hubert goes and dire predictions about Perry Christie (which we take with lots and lots of salt).  It was good to see them all.  Freeport has that special feel for political discussion and roundtable that you don't get anywhere else in The Bahamas.

We had 21,725 hits on the site for the month of January, up to 12 midnight  23 January. Please keep reading.

FNM SENATORS TRY TO BE VIGILANT
The Senate met on Wednesday 19 January to debate the Airport Authority Act. This is a piece of legislation designed to create a public corporation out of the Nassau International Airport.  The Authority will be self-contained and pay for itself by fees and be able to raise bonds.  The Act still gives too much residual power to the Minister, however.  What was interesting during the debate was the wasp-like actions of the FNM Senators. Usually they are quite hopeless as an opposition.  But this time, it is like each of them have been called in and told, if you want to save your job you had better become more activist.  And so leading the charge is Senator Darren Cash who has now completely converted to an FNM ideologue.  He made the ludicrous statement that cabinet government is being undermined because a document condemning Bahamasair written by Government Minister Dame Ivy Dumont was published by the PLP's Chairman Senator Obie Wilchcombe.  Oh what a web we weave when first we practice to deceive.  Utter claptrap!  Senator Wilchcombe is congratulated for exposing Government hypocrisy.

WHAT SENATOR WILCHCOMBE REVEALED
Dame Ivy and her travelling companions on a Bahamasair flight out of Fort Lauderdale to Nassau on 28 November, 1999 were told that they could not bring on any hand carried luggage because all the cabins were full.  The luggage had to be checked.  What apparently irked the Minister was that she was not given the due deference as a Minister. Dame Ivy reported that the Bahamasair employee called the supervisor over saying: "These three ladies have a problem." Dame Ivy was so incensed that she wrote a letter to her fellow Minister who is responsible for Bahamasair and complained.

FRANK WATSON ACTS ON DAME IVY'S COMPLAINT
Following Dame Ivy's letter, the Deputy Prime Minister who was also the Minister responsible for Bahamasair ordered his Permanent Secretary to write a letter to the Chairman of Bahamasair.  He did not ask for an investigation. He simply ordered that disciplinary action be taken against the employees. The interesting thing about this, though, is the response from the management and staff of Bahamasair.  They began circulating the letter immediately, and they sent a response.  The responses clearly show that the employee of Bahamasair was absolutely right and did nothing wrong.  So, egg on Dame Ivy's face.  And as the letters were read, the Senators apart from the peripatetic jack-in-the-box shouting about a disgrace, sat in silence.  They could not believe it.  Dame Ivy came up to Senator Wilchcombe afterwards and told him that everyone did not have to know about the letter. Good work Senator Wilchcombe.  Keep up the pressure!

PASSING AN ACT TO FIX THE AIRPORT BATHROOMS
This Senator speaking on the Bill for the Airport Authority told the Senate that the FNM always engaged in grand strategies to fix small problems  What is wrong with the airport is really quite minor at the moment.  It does not take a whole Act of Parliament to accomplish these small things as in fixing the office for the Road traffic wardens, fixing the bathrooms for the travelling public and fixing the air conditioning and the conveyor belts in the arrivals hall.  But now instead of trying to fix these immediate nuisances, they are engaging in the grand strategy of passing an Act of Parliament.  We should call this the Airport Bathrooms Act.

WAR IN NASSAU HARBOUR?
The Ferry Boat operators between Nassau and Paradise Island had had enough.  The Port Authority of New Providence has a policy that they reserve the waters between Paradise Island and Nassau's Prince George Dock exclusively for the Ferry Boat Operators Association.  There are some 22 of them.  This policy has been violated by a giant foreign/Bay Street combine that is threatening the livelihood of the men.  The final straw was when the Bo Hengy, owned by Craig Symonette, the Bay Street merchant and his family, showed up at Prince George to ferry passengers for three days to Paradise Island. The men reacted by blocking the Paradise Island marina for several hours.  Police and Defence Force had to be called to keep the sides apart. One operator claimed that he had been "kicked in the nuts" by an officer.  As the men stood down, Acting Minister David Thompson and the Port Chair Senator Daphne Duncombe-Cooper met with the men and their attorney, this Senator. He promised that he would seek compensation for the men for the loss of revenue as a result of the violation of the policy.  Further, he promised that the problem of Nassau Cruises would be dealt with.  The men have given the Government 30 days to make good or they will have to act again.  Their President is the Reverend Daniel Small.  The Nassau Guardian took a photo of the blocking of the marina.

23 POLICE OFFICERS DISMISSED
On Friday 21 January, twenty-three senior police officers were summoned to the office of the Deputy Prime Minister and told they were summarily dismissed with fifteen months pay. They were told to pack up and go home immediately. The Deputy Prime Minister reportedly told the officers that the review by the British group CDR International recommended that all police officers with more than 30 years service should be retired from the force. We shall be moving the courts on Monday 24 January to stop this unlawful action by the Government. More on this story next week.

HIGH LEVEL CANADIAN VISIT
This is the fist high-level ministerial visit by an official of the Canadian Government in 10 years. David Kilgour, Canadian Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa visited The Bahamas on Monday 17 January. The Minister met with Foreign Affairs Minister Janet Bostwick and with Transport Minister James Knowles. A number of agreements were concluded including an assistance programme on transportation needs in New Providence, in particular the public bus system. The Opposition was invited to the reception, but invitations came at the last minute, so only this columnist appeared as Opposition Spokesman for Foreign Affairs. We continue to complain about the cavalier attitude that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has toward invitations to Opposition politicians attending Foreign Affairs functions and the contempt which the Minister of Foreign Affairs has for the Opposition Spokesman on Foreign Affairs.

SENATOR TELATOR STRACHAN HONOURED
There was a beautiful photo of former Senator Telator Strachan, mother of now Senator Melanie Griffin, in the newspaper on  17 January.  The occasion was the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award in Tourism.  The mother and daughter were resplendent.  The Tribune photo shows the presentation by the Ministry of Tourism on 16 January.  Senator Strachan has been in the straw work business for decades.

BILL ALLEN'S KNIGHTHOOD
Speaking at the  National Heroes Day observances in Rawson Square on Thursday 20 November, this Senator pointed out that the knighthood given to William Allen, the hapless Minister of Finance was a Knight Commander of St. Michael and St. George (KCMG).  This is the same level of knighthood which was conferred on Sir Lynden O. Pindling, the father of the modern Bahamian state. This Senator finds that objectionable.  In no way can William Allen's contribution to this country be equalled with Sir Lynden's.  Further, the British honours should be abolished in favour of a system of Bahamian honours.  In any event, no honours should be given to sitting, active politicians, and further the public should have a right to nominate persons for honours, as should the heads of any political party represented in the Parliament.

NATIONAL HEROES DAY
For the tenth time in ten years, the anniversary date of the passing of Sir Milo Butler the first Bahamian Governor General was marked as National Heroes Day.  There was an ecumenical service in Rawson Square.  The Chair of the Committee is Rev. Fr. Sebastian Campbell.  Sir Milo died on 19 January 1979 following service in the House of Assembly from 1938 to 1949 and again from 1956 to 1973.  He then served as Governor General until his death. The Committee's aim is a day set aside to honour National heroes.  We suggest 12 October being renamed from its present Columbus Day.  Further, we want the British honours abolished and a system of Bahamian honours established. Schools participate and this year was no exception.  The Tribune gave excellent coverage and in a photo by Felipe Major, we show the Aquinas College marching band..

THE TRIBUNE ON HANGING
In a series of four remarkable editorials during the week beginning 11 January and into the week of 16 January, The Tribune called for the abolition of capital punishment.  Congratulations to them!

STAFFORD SANDS BILLS READY FOR DISTRIBUTION
You will remember the huge controversy in The Bahamas about the Prime Minister's decision to put Sir Stafford Sands on the ten-dollar bill.  Despite the call from the Opposition to cease and desist, the Central Bank has reportedly already printed the  ten-dollar notes and they are ready for circulation.  This, if true, is a huge shame and the PLP should organize a boycott of the note.  It is a disgrace and only an Uncle Tom like the Prime Minister could defend such a thing.

THE JUDICIARY IN AN UPROAR
The opening service for the Legal Year in Freeport took place on 16 January.  Estelle Gray-Evans, the Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court had the spirit in church and there was a massive picture in the press to show for it (See Tribune photo).  A striking contrast of glum judges in wigs and gowns and the ebullient Mrs. Gray-Evans.  But the Judges had plenty for which to pray.  The Judges of Nassau reportedly demanded and got a meeting with the Chief Justice for her to explain how it is that one of the most junior amongst them Loris Gatpansingh, a Guyanese Judge who came to The Bahamas some 18 months ago, has been elevated to the Court of Appeal.  Of course, we know why.  Hubert Ingraham controls who becomes a Judge.  He in turn is controlled by that prissy little fellow named Joaquim Gonsalves Sabola who as Chief Justice and then later President of the Court of Appeal presided over the disgracing of the Bahamian Judiciary.  Having retired as a Judge, he is still using the Government's car and living in the President of the Court of Appeal's house.  He has a fat contract with the Government to be Law Reform Commissioner, and no doubt in that capacity is chief advisor to the Prime Minister.  This is incestuous.  The Judges morale is at its lowest ever.  The Chief Justice needs to take action before there is a revolt over this.

INGRAHAM'S FIRST EVER DEGREE?
We have a Prime Minister who appears to be about to get his first degree.  Unconfirmed reports are that it is a honorary doctorate to be conferred at the next commencement exercises of the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom.

INGRAHAM COMMENTS ON ELECTIONS
The Tribune's Erica Wells wrote a story  published on 21 January in which she quoted the Prime Minister as follows: "I would not be surprised if a bye-election took place this year and maybe more than one, two or so, during the course of this year 2000.  That would not surprise me."  The Prime Minister refused to say whether the elections will be in Nassau or the Family Islands.  But all know that Anthony Rolle, the sacked Minister of Public Enterprises, has agreed to resign the Carmichael seat in the House of Assembly to take up a diplomatic post in New York, succeeding Maurice Moore at the United Nations.  That will complete the turnover of senior diplomats in New York, since Doswell Coakley, the Consul General has returned to Freeport.  It is believed that he will be replaced by Frank Rolle, now Consul General in Miami.  Mr. Rolle is to be replaced by sacked Parliamentary Secretary now Senator Calvin Johnson. It is expected that Mr. Ingraham will nominate senator Daphne Duncombe-Cooper to replace Mr. Rolle in Carmichael.  The PLP has not decided whether or not to contest the seat.  The other seat that is expected to become vacant is that of Robert Sweeting MP for South Abaco.  Mr. Sweeting has had enough.  He is to be replaced by now Senator Michael Bethel. The PLP should not contest that seat.  Joshua Sears, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, is set to take up a post in Washington DC as Ambassador. Good Man! Well that's how it is for now.

INGRAHAM ON A THIRD TERM
The Prime Minister also told Erica Wells in that Tribune interview that he will not run for a third term as Leader of the FNM. Quite simply, we believe that is a lie. He has every intention of running again.

SENATOR FRED MITCHELL ON BOUNDARY CHANGES
This Senator made a courtesy call on the British High Commissioner Peter Heigl  to say thanks to the British for sponsoring the official trip to the U.K. in November.  The principle focus of the press conference was the fact that the PLP will begin a major focus on the boundaries of constituencies in the next election.  The other concerns are access to the broadcast media and the funding of the general election campaign.  Senator Mitchell is shown presenting the High Commissioner with a copy of Great Moments in PLP History, a brief history of the party in The Bahamas written by Senator Mitchell.

INGRAHAM ON CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES
Hubert Ingraham was lying again.  This time it was on the question of boundaries.  Erica Wells in that same story of 21 January  asked the Prime Minister about constituency boundaries.  He was quoted as follows: "The boundaries of The Bahamas are the most equitable boundaries in terms of population and geography that have ever been produced." Who is he kidding?  He claimed that Peter Bethell, the PLP's last representative on the Commission, did not object to any constituency except Acklins, Crooked Island, Mayaguana and Inagua.  He claimed that the boundaries are more or less equal at 3500 voters per constituency.  He said that if he gets his way there will be 38 constituencies, down by 2.  That means he intends to eliminate Fox Hill to get rid of this Senator and he intends to eliminate another, no doubt in a vendetta against someone else.  We shall see. The Prime Minister's assertions are patently dishonest and stupid.  The fact is that he drew crooked lines to try to eliminate Franklin Wilson and this Senator.  He put together the people of Blair with the people of Kemp Road who have nothing in common with each other.  Uncle Tom at work again.

TIME TO TELL THE STORY ON MITCHELL AND INGRAHAM
It is now time to tell all.  And soon we will begin a full expose on the relationship, the nature and extent of it between this Senator and the Prime Minister.  We will begin from that first day in 1977 when the Hubert Ingraham acted to try to get this columnist to withdraw from the race for the Centreville Constituency.  It is like the story of Salieri and Amadeus.  The evil one with no talent, plotting and scheming to eliminate someone with superior talent and of whom he is extremely jealous.  It should make interesting reading.  Read how the Prime Minister sought to denigrate the way the Senator speaks and on and on.  Watch this space in the future for the full story.

SALUTE TO R.M. BAILEY COACH MACKEY
According to Brent Stubbs of the Tribune, Coach Chuck Mackey of R. M. Bailey High School has been a fixture and role model for 20 years as the Basketball coach.   Mr. Mackey was honoured this week by the present and former students.  We salute Mr. Mackey. The Tribune photo of the coach with his team is shown on Thursday 20 January .

CITRUS BAN
The Department of Agriculture has banned the import of all citrus from Florida because of citrus canker.  Do not bring in oranges, grapefruit or other citrus from Florida.  It will be confiscated.

GEORGE WILSON SENTENCED
We have learned with regret that George Wilson, former head of the FNM Action Group, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the United States for his part in an alleged insurance bilking scheme. He also got a one million dollar fine.

KINGSLEY MUNROE APPEAL
Kingsley Munroe, the former Comptroller of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (ZNS), who was convicted last year for stealing by reason of employment, had his appeal heard on Monday 17 January before the Court of Appeal. He is represented by attorney Philip 'Brave' Davis. Mr. Munroe was sentenced to five years imprisonment and is appealing both conviction and sentence. The Court of Appeal reserved its decision. We continue to insist that if Mr. Munroe had not been a PLP, he would not have been prosecuted in the first place.

THIS WEEK AT KRISTI'S
Congratulations to Max Quant on the marriage of his son. Best Wishes to Ricardo and the lovely Anya...

Lucaya Strip Disaster:   The stalled Lucaya strip project is being widely described at this stage as a disaster for Grand Bahama. The project is at least a year and a half behind schedule. The Grand Bahama Port Authority, owners of the neighbouring Port Lucaya Marketplace, have reportedly issued letters to their tenants raising the rent and demanding that they either pay up or get out. One FNM supporter tells us that the Hutchison's Lucaya Strip project has made a complete jacka** out of the Government. Everywhere the sentiment is being echoed that the situation is beyond the "persuasive powers" of local Ministerial MPs C.A. Smith and David Thompson. "If the Prime Minister would stop bullying defenceless FNMs like Roston Miller and find the time to come to Grand Bahama he could insist that Hutchison live up to their commitments on the Lucaya Strip". In the midst of widespread criticism Hutchison's general contractor Centex-Rooney released another ten-week deadline. This time, they say that within ten weeks a superstructure should be up... Yeah right. Unsympathetic onlookers are suggesting that the Government refuse to allow further development on Hutchison's pet container port project until the company gets serious about its hotel properties in Lucaya.

"The man is saying that he is not running and Mr. Ingraham says what he means and means what he says." - These words brought an end to angry exchanges between Tennyson Wells chief general on Grand Bahama and one irate Ingraham supporter this week in Kristi's.  After reading a story in that morning's paper quoting Prime Minister Ingraham as saying that he will not run again, the Wells' general smiled: "Gentlemen, " he said, "we don't have a problem."  In any event Mr. Wells will be back in Grand Bahama this week to visit with key supporters the now controversial Hutchison project at Lucaya strip and the container port.

Heightened Security at Container Port : It seems that the Government has acceded to the request of Dr. Bernard Nottage on the question of 24 hour surveillance at the Container Port. We are reliably informed that the Government has quietly posted a senior Customs Supervisor along with the regular contingent 24 hours a day and seven days a week instead of its customary 8am to 4pm posting. Dr. Nottage recently raised questions of a smuggling operation at the container port. One thing is for sure, customs officers are no making much overtime for work at Freeport Harbour.

"This is still The Bahamas, not 'round here" - This from the head of the Grand Bahama Taxi-Cab who was all over town this week telling everyone who would listen. He was responded to a move by Mr. Headley Forbes, local transportation mogul who announced the purchase of  three large busses at a unit cost of $300,000 to move tourists to and from the harbour and the airport. Another taxi driver recalled an incident some years ago when Grand Bahama taxi-drivers pushed a similar bus into the sea at Freeport Harbour.... a potentially explosive situation, but another local transportation chief told our corespondent this morning that "all they gon' do is share the pie." Hmmm.

Grand Bahama Sports Complex - Next week a full story on the Grand Bahama Sports Complex - pictures included. We'll talk about the lack of interest being given that project by all parties concerned. The track has been installed and in place since November of last year and the project has seemingly stalled. As track season approaches, work on the grandstand and toilet facilities have been moving at a snail's pace. Look for a detailed report on this developing scandal.

While material on this web site can be used freely by other sections of the press, as a courtesy, journalists are asked to attribute the source of their material from this web site.

Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl+home to return to the top of the page.

---

A lot can be said about this disappointing news.  But after giving the best advice one can, we suppose that all one can say is to each his own.  Every man is entitled to try.

As for the PLP, at one level it may have made the party appear weaker, but at a more fundamental level, it is in fact stronger in the sense that now there should no longer be any hindrance to making the decisions that are necessary to move the organization forward.  And so the faithful wait to see what happens next.

Several observations can be made.  There is no split in the PLP.  The organization is now solidly behind Mr. Christie as the best chance to win the next General Election or at the very least to stay in the game.

We report the response from the PLP's leadership below. We advise all to refrain from gloating.  Let us just go ahead with our work.

This week, Bahamians were shivering.  Some reported that the temperature dropped to 43 degrees in Freeport at one point during the week.  As temperatures go that is not so low, but with most homes not having heating, it can be pretty uncomfortable inside the homes in cold weather.

The Senate met this week to debate an Amendment to the Court of Appeal Act and an Act to Abolish Mandatory Minimum Sentences.  You can see the complete text of this Senator's remarks by clicking here.

VISIT TO LYFORD CAY SCHOOL - This senator was the featured speaker of the Grade 9 Class of the Lyford Cay School on the topic: 'The Organs of Government'.  The class is taught by Mrs. Cecilia Rolle.   The class has amongst its students Dominic Mitchell, who is the oldest of my mother and father's grandchildren. The class seemed well informed, perceptive, generally up to date with public issues in The Bahamas.  A photo was taken with this Senator at the school to mark the occasion on Wednesday 26 January. The photo is by Al Dillette.

This week we had 28,387 hits on this site.  Please keep reading.

TRANSFER  OF BAHAMIAN PRISONERS IN CUBA
Five Bahamians have been released by the Cuban Government and have returned to their habitations in The Bahamas.  They have expressed through relatives their thanks to the PLP for the public efforts to obtain their release.   The five were convicted in Cuba of what the Cuban Government called illegal entry.  They insist that they were pursued and picked up in Bahamian waters, framed by Cuban authorities, and then  sentenced to two years imprisonment.  According to the Bahamians, their sentences expired in September of last year but they were held in prison until 1 January when they were released. This Senator as Opposition Spokesman on Foreign Affairs and Senator Obie Wilchcombe met with the Cuban Ambassador to The Bahamas Lázaro Cabezas on Wednesday 26 January at lunch at the British Colonial Hotel.  This was following this Senator's intervention in the Senate that day in which he announced the PLP's plans to travel to Cuba to see the Bahamians who are imprisoned there.  Some 13 are said to be there. The Leader of the Opposition is expected to lead the delegation in the second week in February.  The agreement in principle for the visit was made with the Ambassador.  Also it was learned that the protocol on the transfer of prisoners who are Bahamians is almost concluded and may become effective in February.  The Ambassador also confirmed that The Bahamas Government has agreed to the establishment of a Cuban consulate in Nassau.  The PLP has received complaints of lack of due process for Bahamians in Cuba, and hopes to investigate those claims. The photo by Al Dillette shows from left to right Senator Wilchcombe, Ambassador Cabezas and Senator Mitchell.

NOTTAGE RESIGNATION AN ANTI-CLIMAX
It has been so long in coming that the resignation came like a dull thud.  Every month, every week, you heard around town that this resignation was coming.  But on Perry Christie the announcement made him combative.  He instructed the party Chair to draw a line in the sand.  As far as the Leader of the PLP is concerned the seat is a PLP seat and Dr. Nottage has an obligation to step down so that the PLP can regain its seat in a bye-election. The Chair of the Party Senator Obie Wilchcombe made the demand in his first public statement on the issue.  There is no precedent for that, and it is certainly unlikely that Dr. Nottage with a 110 vote majority in the last election would risk such a move.  It would probably give the seat to the FNM, which if the third party option is pursued may be precisely what happens in the general election.  No Opposition party will win a three-way race. The election would simply go to the FNM.

WHAT DR. NOTTAGE SAID
In his letter of resignation Dr. Nottage said: "The party has failed to restructure, retool and reform itself since its general election defeat, and is not able to meet the expectations and demands of the Bahamian electorate in the 21st. century..."  He said his attempts to get the PLP to act had been rebuffed and he had been obstructed. He said he regretted the decision to resign but his decision came "after most careful and deliberate consideration, and after prayerful thought to resign from the party and seek a more effective way to represent my constituents and the good people of The Bahamas. "

REACTION AT THE PLP COUNCIL LEVEL
You can't often trust what people in this country say to your face, but at the Council meeting of the PLP on Thursday 27 January, there was the largest turnout in months.  People were in a feisty mood, and there was largely relief that Dr. Nottage had done the deed.  Most people believed that the PLP should not attack Dr. Nottage but go on with its work.  The consensus seemed to be that greater men than Dr. Nottage have left the PLP and it has survived.  They encouraged Mr. Christie to buckle down now and get to the job at hand. In a related event, Mr. Christie has established an Election Co-ordinating Committee, headed by Everette Archer.  He also announced that Paul Adderley and Sean McWeeney are heading an ethics sub-committee of that Co-ordinating Committee to examine each candidate's fitness for office.

CHRISTIE SPEAKS AT GRANTS TOWN BRANCH
At a meeting of the Grants Town branch of the PLP, hosted by PLP MP Bradley Roberts, Mr. Christie told an enthusiastic crowd that the PLP goes on.  He said that it survived others leaving and it will survive the loss of Dr. Bernard Nottage. He told how Dr. Nottage had visited his home on Tuesday 25 January and that they had a good and friendly talk.

REACTION FROM THE FNM
A Minister of the Government in his quiet ruminations with a senior PLP official said that as a result of Dr. Nottage's resignation from the PLP, Prime Minister Ingraham is now more emboldened to stay on for a third term.  He is now actively saying that the fight for leadership of the country is too fractious given that its Perry Christie, Tennyson and B.J. wanting to get his job.  He argues that the country will need his brand of stable leadership if the economy is to continue to recover.  That's what you call self-serving bullshit, but that's Ingraham for you.   FNMs generally thought that Dr. Nottage made a bad and impolitic move, that can only result in a walk to political irrelevance.  They thought that at a time when the PLP seemed to be gaining ground it seemed particularly inopportune for a move like this to be made.  But it is often said: who knows what voices a man hears within his own head? Meanwhile Tennyson Wells has reportedly budgeted $5,000 per week to campaign in the Family Islands until November 2000 for the Prime Ministership and $4,000 per week in New Providence.  Imagine what Ingraham must plan to spend.  The FNM remembers what a split did to them in 1977 and privately reportedly warned Dr. Nottage not to repeat that mistake.

REACTION FROM PLEASANT BRIDGEWATER
Dr. Nottage as reported had hoped that former Senator Bridgewater might be amongst those interested in joining his putative new party.  But the statement by the PLP Grand Bahama Council's Chair (the former Senator) seemed to close the door on any such possibility.  In a frank interview on Wednesday 26 January with The Tribune's Denise Maycock she said: "... I honestly believed that he had some more contributions to make in the party... There is one position for leader in the party, and both of them [Christie and Nottage] wanted it. They both ran and Mr. Christie won the leadership.  But Dr. Nottage always felt badly about it and he never, in my opinion, really recovered from the disappointment... In the back of my mind, I was always thinking that in time, he will get over it.  But unfortunately that never happened in Dr. Nottage's case and so he submitted his resignation."

REACTION FROM SENATOR DR. MARCUS BETHEL
The Guardian reported on Thursday 27 January that in an interview with Senator Marcus Bethel,  Leader of the PLP in the Senate, Dr. Bethel said that Dr. Nottage exercised his democratic right when he resigned his membership of the PLP.  "Legally, I don't think he is required to resign his seat."

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN FOR THE PLP?
It means that the organization must now move on with the task of trying to win the next General Election.  It would be a fruitless exercise chasing after the departed one.  There are other souls to convert.  There can be no excuses for inaction now, because there is no dissenting voice as far as the Leadership is concerned.  The recent events show the kind of person Mr. Christie is.  His strengths are at one and the same time his weaknesses.  His affability, his ability to be friendly with all, his accessibility; his hope never to offend.  Those are the very things that drove Dr. Nottage to distraction because he believed that it prevented fundamental decisions from being made for the PLP. Those are the very things that make Mr. Christie attractive as a leader. Mr. Christie could not bring himself to attack Dr. Nottage, and it was only when Dr Nottage resigned that he had something to say.  Dr. Nottage's resignation was perceived by him to be an attack on him personally and his response was seen as self-defence.  But that is the past and one hopes very much the past.  We want to win.  Now on to the General Election.

CONGRATULATIONS TO VIKEY BROWN
We were unable to attend a great party put on by friends at Studio 69 for the newest FNM Senator Edwin 'Vikey' Brown. Sorry about that.  But perhaps we can do the next best thing.  Next week, we hope to have a picture spread of the party which took place on Friday 28 January.  Congratulations on your appointment Senator Brown.

SUFFRAGAN BISHOP NOMINATED FOR ANGLICANS
His Grace the Archbishop of the Province of the West Indies and the Bishop of Nassau and The Bahamas Drexel Gomez announced shortly before a ten day vacation trip to Washington last week that he has nominated the Venerable Archdeacon Gilbert Thompson to be Suffragan Bishop of the Diocese.   Gilbert Thompson is the brother of the more famous retired Rector of St. Agnes Archdeacon William Thompson.  He is now the rector of St. Barnabas Parish on Wulff Road. Gilbert Thompson is 65 years old.  The choice is a curious one given that 65 is the age of retirement for priests, and the church needs a younger profile and an energetic evangelist type to supplement the often dry style of preaching of most Anglican priests.  The church needs to begin to make marketing savvy decisions as it seeks to compete in the new century.  Most observers say that Gilbert Thompson is a shoo-in when the election comes.  He will have to retire at 70.  The Archbishop also announced that the Dean of the Cathedral Patrick Adderley is to become the Vicar General of the Diocese.  That is the man who is in charge when the Bishop is not in the diocese. The Suffragan to be is pictured in the Nassau Guardian's photo.

BEC, THE GOVERNMENT AND ITS WORKERS SETTLE
Charles Rolle is a man after the heart of this columnist.  He is not one to stand on ceremony.  Mr. Rolle is the combative President of the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU). The Union has signed a deal backdated to 1998 and the deal will end in 2003.  The Guardian pictured on Thursday 27 January the ceremony from the day before: Barrie Farrington , Chairman of BEC at centre; Charles Rolle, left and the Minister for BEC Frank Watson.  Mr. Watson left the ceremony in a huff demanding that Mr. Rolle retract his statements.  What statement?  Well according to The Tribune 27 January, Mr. Rolle at the ceremony said the following: "During these negotiations, my house was invaded by police at 2:30 in the morning, my children were woken up to the sound of police officers with a search warrant of arrest for me - all in the interests of trying to pressurise [sic.] the union and to undermine my ability as leader of the Union and to discredit me personally."  Mr. Watson asked for the remarks to be withdrawn. Mr. Rolle refused. Good man Charles Rolle!

BUST OF DR. CLEVELAND ENEAS
Al Dillette took the photo of this columnist with a bust of the late Dr. Cleveland Eneas at the Southern Public Library in Grants Town in New Providence on Thursday 27 January.  The bust was officially unveiled by the Governor General Sir Orville Turnquest two weeks ago.  Present at the unveiling were widow Mrs. Muriel Eneas and son Dr. Cleveland Eneas Jr., aka Fritzie.

TYRONE SAWYER AND THE BO HENGY
On Friday 28 January, we got a disturbing report that the Board of Directors of Bahamas Fast Ferries, the owners of the 'Bo Hengy' have dismissed Tyrone Sawyer, the President of the company.  Mr. Sawyer heretofore has been the public face of the company to the Bahamian people.  This is a matter of great sadness, if true.  More next week.

DION FOULKES HELPS THE FERRY BOAT OPERATORS
This columnist as Attorney for the Ferry Boat operators met with Minister of Maritime Affairs Dion Foulkes, the Chair of the Port Authority Senator Daphne Duncombe-Cooper and other Government officials with a view to settling the dispute which broke out in the harbour last week (see last week's column).  The Minister confirmed that some compensation will be offered.  He announced publicly on Thursday 27 January that the owners of the Bo Hengy were wrong to interfere with the livelihood of the Ferry Boat operators.  The Bo Hengy which plies at 35 knots between Nassau and Harbour Island and North Eleuthera was not meant to compete with ferry business between Paradise Island and Nassau.

NEW DEFENCE FORCE SHIPS COMMISSIONED
In an impressively short ceremony at Prince George Dock, Nassau on Thursday 27 January, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham commissioned two new craft for the Defence Force; the HMBS Nassau and the HMBS Bahamas.  HMBS means Her Majesty's Bahamian Ship. The ships were built in the US for 13 million dollars each, the largest expenditure ever for military equipment by The Bahamas.  The ships are 198 feet long.  They are equipped with two 25 mm guns.  They are fully computerized. As the navigational officer told us as we were touring the ships, if the computer locks in and the trigger is pulled, it's in the sweet bye and bye. Congratulations to the Defence Force.  One discordant note: the ships cannot, as this Senator revealed, dock any place except the Nassau Harbour and the Freeport Harbour.  They draw too much water.  They can't even dock in their own home base at Coral Harbour.  When they were doing duty at Cat Island for the hurricane relief last October, one ship had to dock some five miles offshore.  Whose bright idea was this? But they are pretty boats.  The photo taken by Peter Ramsay shows this Senator with Stephanie Rolle, wife of the Commodore of the Defence Force Davey Rolle.

LABOUR TRIBUNAL OFFICIAL FOR FREEPORT
After almost two years of being without a Vice President to adjudicate cases for the Labour Tribunal in Freeport, the Government has announced that Kelphine Cunningham has agreed to begin sitting in Freeport on Monday 31 January.  This is a relief.  The Government has been shockingly negligent toward the workers of Freeport. Mrs. Cunningham has been sitting at home, collecting a salary since April, while the Government tried to get its ducks in a row.  No fault of Mrs. Cunningham, just another example of shocking negligence by the Government.

NEW DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION
Without any announcement whatsoever, the Government has quietly appointed Vernon Burrows the Acting Director of Immigration.  This is a good move.  No disrespect to the last Director but that job really belongs to someone with law enforcement background, or someone who came up in the ranks of the Department of Immigration. Mr. Burrows fits the bill. He is accessible to all, even though he has a close working relationship with the Prime Minister. He promises that he will move to round up illegal immigrants on a sustained basis.  Melvin Seymour, the former Director, has moved to the Ministry of Education as Under-secretary.  He is a competent and fair bureaucrat and we wish him well in his new job.

PERRY CHRISTIE'S STATEMENT CUT BY ZNS
It was the most remarkable conversation one wanted to hear.  The Leader of the Opposition called Elaine Ferguson on Thursday 27 January, the Acting Director of News at ZNS, to ask why his statement condemning the Government for firing 23 police officers last week was not carried on TV.  There was plenty of hemming and hawing.  Something about there were contradictions between what the Leader said and what the Government's release said and what Damien Gomez said.  Mr. Gomez was also at the press conference.  What it boiled down to is Ms. Ferguson objected to Mr. Christie's comments and censored the comment for television.  It is disgraceful, and one day these so called journalists will learn what their role in life is, not to play block for the FNM.  But Mr. Christie should act more forcefully and denounce them from the rafters.  Then they will stop it.

NEW MINIMUM LABOUR STANDARDS BILL
You can't tell whether its just a case of plenty of energy because he is new in the job but Dion Foulkes has announced as Minister of Labour that he intends for the Minimum Labour Standards Bill to become law this year.  The bill which is opposed by employers will have statutory periods for sick pay, for unfair dismissal and a minimum wage.   This Bill will be supported by the PLP but it needs to add some more anti-discrimination features: like those against race, HIV positive and disabled people and nationality as in discrimination by employers because you are Bahamian.

FIGHT IN POLICE ASSOCIATION
The press reported this week that an injunction has been served on Police Association Chair Franklin Campbell to prevent him from taking office.  There is a dispute about whether or not he can still serve as Chair having been promoted from Corporal to Sergeant.  Stay tuned!

SATELLITE CARD WARNING
The Freeport News 25 January reported that residents of Grand Bahama ought to be on alert for thieves of satellite card systems.  This is interesting.  The things have a price that is worth more than gold, particularly if it is before a certain year.  It makes it easier to evade the encryption systems of Direct TV satellites.   The Police say that people break into houses, just for the card.  Well we should remind people that having Direct TV is a violation of US copyright laws or so some argue.  But that has never stopped Bahamians. So as they say: "When tief tief from tief, God smile."

PHOTOS FOR DRIVER'S LICENCES
The Tribune reported in its 24 January edition that drivers licences with photos will after years of promises be available by the  summer.  Brensil Rolle, the Controller of Road Traffic is fairly confident that the infrastructure will be in place.. Mr. Rolle says the Department is trying to ensure that the Family Islands have the equipment. A record of previous convictions and the photo will be stored in the central computer. "Readers" are to be installed in the police cars.  Address details will also be in the central computer.  Well,  the promise was made two transport ministers ago.  We shall see. BaTelCo, the telephone company is being blamed as well and so is hurricane Floyd. That poor hurricane is blamed for everything.

CONGRATS TO LORETTA AND JEFFERY SIMMONS
The Tribune reported in its Bahamian Taste Section on Tuesday 25 January a career move for Loretta and Jeffery Simmons.  More and more couples and individuals are trying to turn their lives from the drone of working for someone to their own businesses.  The Simmonses have found it with a business called: 'Just Nuts'. It's located at Wong's Plaza at Madeira Street in New Providence.  It has what is claimed to be the largest supply of nuts and dried fruits. Mrs. Simmons and her husband were pictured by The Tribune.  Said Mrs. Simmons: "I took a big cut in pay and I have to put in long hours and hard work, but I can see great potential." Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Simmons and we wish them well.

ATLANTIS FOURTH QUARTER PROFIT
According to Samantha Joseph, The Tribune's Business Reporter (24 January), while Sun International Hotel's performance slipped slightly elsewhere, the Atlantis Resort of Paradise Island continued to be a profit earner for the company.  The pre-tax profit for the fourth quarter 1999 was 28.9 million dollars, double that of 1998.

WETLANDS OF ANDROS BEING RESTORED
Tosheena Robinson of The Tribune's staff reported on Tuesday 25 January that former Minister of Agriculture and now Ambassador for the Environment Earl Deveaux started the Creeks and Wetlands Restoration Initiative Committee in 1997.  Perry Maillis, former Bahamas National Trust President, is a prime mover of the Committee.  The Committee took the press on a tour of a restoration project at Mastic Point on Monday 24 January.  The Tribune showed a photo of the Mastic Point Cemetery/Grave Yard Pond restoration project.  Bird Creek Pond, part of the project is pictured.

DRUG POLICE WILL BREAK THE DRUG MARKET
The Tribune reported in its Tuesday 25 January edition that the Drug Enforcement Unit of the Royal Bahamas Police Force promises to break the back of the drug market in Nassau.  Assistant Superintendent of Police Glen Miller spoke to The Tribune.

BECAUSE OF THE EXTENDED REPORTS ON DR. NOTTAGE'S RESIGNATION THE SPECIAL ON WHY INGRAHAM HATES MITCHELL PROMISED LAST WEEK HAS BEEN DELAYED. STAY TUNED!

THIS WEEK AT KRISTI'S
ON THE AUCTION BLOCK IN GRAND BAHAMA
This week the Grand Bahama community was stunned by a six-page newspaper supplement of foreclosed homes for sale. Mortgage lender Imperial Life published the supplement in the Freeport News in the midst of what the Government is touting as an 'economic boom' in Freeport. Kristi's was abuzz with what it all meant. The supplement showed pictures of homes - some with little children still sitting on the porch - and businesses for sale at auction. Everywhere, the talk was about underemployment. Job opportunities are said to be plentiful in Grand Bahama since the FNM came to power and at every turn, the Government tries to give the impression that the economy is booming. The reality is that most of these people - although working - are making less than they did just a few years ago... underemployed. Kristi's politicos from both sides offered the opinion that working only to fall behind in obligations is a form of economic bondage. The better, higher paying jobs - it was said - are being given to foreigners in many instances even when there are qualified Bahamians available. That, according to the Kristi's consensus, has to change.

A BIG BASH FOR VIKEY
Studio 69 was a who's who of Grand Bahama politics Friday evening as friends of newly appointed FNM Senator Edwin 'Vikey' Brown hosted a celebration. A large contingent travelled from Nassau to join the fun with Grand Bahama FNMs and PLPs. Everyone was on their best behaviour. Up to our deadline, we were unable to get pictures, but a marvellous time was had by all and all were made to feel welcome. We have come to expect no less from Vikey. Friday night was a class act.

SKULDUGGERY CONTINUES IN THE FNM
Plotting and scheming appear to be the order of the day in the continuing battle to succeed Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham as leader of the FNM. Informants tell This Week at Kristi's that Minister C.A. Smith has been tapped to head a committee to draft Mr. Ingraham to run for a third term. That same FNM informant vows that if C.A. even thinks along those lines there are those within the FNM who would mount a grass roots effort against him in his Pineridge constituency. "A little bit of resources" said our source, "is all it would take."

SIGNS OF FNM POLARIZING
Former Attorney General and would-be next FNM leader Tennyson Wells and his forces were all in Grand Bahama Friday evening, working the political crowds in grand style. One senior Ingraham supporter here was so 'wex' he walked off muttering "even if by chance they are able to force Ingraham out, you will never, ever see Tennyson Wells as the leader of the FNM." Vicious stuff... "Mr. Ingraham" said the supporter, "will ultimately have the last say in who succeeds him."

THIRD CANDIDATE TO ANNOUNCE IN SEPTEMBER
The word in Kristi's is that Algernon Allen aka Minister of Idle Poetry has decided to wait until September to announce his candidacy for the leadership of the FNM. The reason: he feels that he is able to utilize the public relations services of the Government in bolstering his image until then.

REACTION TO THE NOTTAGE RESIGNATION
Reaction among local PLPs in Grand Bahama to the resignation of Dr. Bernard Nottage from the PLP this week was mixed. Sources say that some in the PLP who supported Dr. Nottage's last run for the party leadership are still unhappy about the way the party dealt with his supporters following the loss. Whether they follow him out of the party or not, only time will tell. Brian Seymour, one Kristi's politico who supported Dr. Nottage that October, accused the PLP of losing focus on the reason for which it was formed - that is to ultimately become the Government  - saying that it spells doom. Others in Grand Bahama expressed regret at his departure,  but think this now presents Mr. Christie with a clear field for his brand of leadership.

GRAND BAHAMA SPORTS COMPLEX
Last week we promised an éxposé on work at the new Grand Bahama Sports Complex currently under construction off Settlers Way in Freeport. Back channels have insisted that we hold off for at least another ten days and watch for meaningful change. We shall have to wait and see.....