PAGE 2, Tuesday, November 6, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
Fun for all THE ROYAL Bahamas Police Force hosted its Fun Day last Saturday at the Police Training College.
Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, November 6, 2018, PAGE 3
New mass action over rights abuse from page one
writs will total in claims and damages in the millions. If you take for example the (cases of) Tynes, or Takitota, who were all given many decades ago $300,000 to $700,000 in damages for illegal arrest and detention. This is not new law that we are creating, this is basic fundamental freedoms that the government of The Bahamas continues to ignore and it is only costing ultimately the taxpayer.” He added: “It seems (the Department of) Immigration remains above the law and whether it’s PLP or FNM.” Of the writs filed on Friday, 10 were released by the court, four were released after habeas
corpus writs were served, and one woman was deported after her time was served. Detention periods range from several months to several days. Their names are: Earl Burton; Anslet Curry; Jean Tinord and child Gemma Joseph; Verante Mocombe and child Norcin; Kediesha Bent-John and Chitara John; Emanuel Simeon; Fanel Gassant; Mirlen Corvile; Michelott Mirilien; William Oneil; Ricardo Johnson; Sonnette Joseph; Reggionel Raymonvil; Marc Henry; and Yvella Joseph. “Rights Bahamas and our firm have been approached by hundreds of people over the last few years that have fallen prey to government abuse,” said Mr Smith. “Unfortunately we simply don’t have the capacity to issue writs for
FRED SMITH, QC all who have approached us but Rights Bahamas is commited to continuing the fight for every person’s constitutional and civil rights in the Bahamas.” On a radio talk show in January, Attorney General Carl Bethel sought to offer a distinction
between the Minnis administration and successive governments as it related to immigration matters. Underscoring a holistic approach, Mr Bethel discouraged ethnic profiling and sweeping apprehensions while a guest on “Z Live” with host Zhivargo Laing. He remarked on the government’s difficulty in defending its position in court on immigration matters, stating “the government loves to make private sector lawyers rich.” Mr Bethel went on to suggest it was time to move away from “crack-downs” in lieu of a more sustainable approach. “You can’t rake and scrape every person who sounds foreign, looks foreign, doesn’t have they’re papers and lock them
away,” Mr Bethel said on the show. “You must, just to avoid the legal problems that the government gets itself into, go through the process of properly analysing and screening and separating those who have some entitlement, those who have a work permit, from those who are plainly undocumented.” Mr Bethel’s comments came a day before Justice Gregory Hilton was expected to deliver his ruling on more than a dozen habeas corpus applications - some of whom are among the 15 now suing for damages. Last year, Jamaican Matthew Sewell, who spent nine years in and out of prison and the Carmichael Road Detention Centre without trial, was awarded a $125,000 settlement in Supreme Court.
Health levy will hit wages in January 2020 from page one Authority, and Dr Roberts said that they were very pleased with the response received. “Ninety-five percent are very satisfied with the care given and, more importantly, we need to emphasise that 80 to 90 of the providers are in the private sector,” he revealed. Dr Roberts and his team are in Grand Bahama over the next two days, meeting with private sector stakeholders to present the latest plans for the implementation of NHI and to get feedback and recommendation on the proposed amendment to the initiative. On Monday, they met with various sectors of the business community at the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce in Freeport. They will also speak with residents at town hall meetings in Eight Mile Rock and Freeport. According to Dr Roberts, the NHI plan is one of shared responsibility providing sustainable and affordable health care services to all. Due to limitations of the public health system, he said: “We want to establish a public-private partnership in which the private sector in the health care services can increase capacity of the health care system. “We look at primary care as a shining example of this because what package of benefit they deliver we get at the most affordable price, and it appears so far the quality of care they are delivering seems to be going in the right direction.” Building on the primary care programme initially started under the Christie administration, Dr Roberts said the NHI Authority has worked over the past year to draft a framework of the way forward for NHI to proceed. He noted that those already enrolled under the initial programme, can start to enroll in the new NHI scheme. The new proposed expanded package of benefits in the primary care programme will not only include physician visits, but also expanded health education, health prevention, health promotion, and wellness programmes, as well as expanding diagnostic and imaging tests. In the proposed expansion in the programme for high-cost care, all common cancers in women and men will be covered. Dr Roberts said that cervical cancer and breast
cancer in women, prostate cancer in men, and colon and rectal cancers in both men and women will be covered under the package. “It was also expanded to include the common coronary artery disease conditions which leads to heart attacks and includes having pacemakers available for those individuals who have potentially fatal rhythms of the heart,” he explained. It also covers dialysis for patients with chronic kidney failure, he said, adding that officials look forward to adding kidney transplants as well. “We realise we cannot afford to cover everything in the beginning, so this is a phased approach,” he explained. The government will be responsible to provide insurance coverage for those who are unemployed, and the unemployable, such as senior citizens, children, pensioners, and those who are indigent. With regards to the current private insurance that persons have, Dr Roberts explained that it will not affect the status quo presently. “So whatever arrangement exists in your private insurance coverage by your employer with regards to him paying all of it, or part of it, what the employee mandate says is that if you are held responsible to pay a portion, the maximum you must pay will be no more than $42 per month if your salary is $25,000 or more,” he said. Those earning less than or minimum wage will pay $8 maximum, depending on what their coverage will be. “We will enact this and start the programme between April and July 2019,” Dr Roberts said. “In terms of employee mandated contributions, employers will not have to start making contributions until January 2020.” To ease the burden on employers, Dr Roberts said those business owners with less than 100 workers will not make full a contribution from payroll deductions, but a request will be made for them in the first year to pay 25 percent of the standard benefit package cost, amounting to $25 per month for an employee to be enrolled in NHI. “We also stipulated that those individuals whose income declared on their business licence that is less than $100,000, that they too will not be required to take salary deductions, so they can enroll in NHI without any cost,” he said.
DR Robin Roberts yesterday. According to Dr Roberts, the NHI plan is one of shared responsibility providing sustainable and affordable health care services to all. “We are looking to the fact that everyone will be covered,” he said, adding no one will be excluded either due to pre-existing conditions. “If you are known to have breast cancer before, they cannot say now that you cannot have coverage or that the premium will go up because the basic benefit of the package will be the same cost for everyone,” Dr Roberts noted.
Because sustainability and affordability of the package of benefits are important, Dr Roberts said the pooling of the premium is necessary so those who can pay will provide support for those least able to pay. Secondly, he said the government health care system will be fundamental to delivering the services for the package of benefits
as it allows for greater flexibility and strength in terms of controlling the cost of health care. “We feel we are looking at advancing and improving the health benefits available. We feel we have done so in a way that is realistic, and more importantly we feel we have done so in a way that is more sustainable,” he said. Mick Holding, president
of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, said that the groups supports the implementation of NHI. “I think that everyone would agree that something needs to be done in terms of health coverage in the country because a lot of people are disadvantaged and cannot afford health care. Something needs to be done about that, and I support that initiative,” he said. He thanked Dr Roberts and his team for coming to the island to hold sessions with the business community and with general public at town hall sessions. A town meeting was held at Mt Caravel Baptist Church at 6pm in Eight Mile Rock last night and another is scheduled for 6 o’clock tonight at the Church of the Ascension on Ardent Forest Road, Freeport. Last month, the NHIA proposed a contributory scheme in which the salaries of every employed Bahamian would be subject to a deduction of about two percent each month as a means to pay for universal healthcare coverage. The group also revealed a proposal to tax sugary drinks and potentially other unhealthy products be implemented July 2019 to fund health education and outreach programmes. However, government officials have said the proposals have not been decided upon, adding there will be public consultation before anything is formalised.
PAGE 4, Tuesday, November 6, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
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Overcoming legacy issues, Bahamas’ vulnerability to financial pirates IN recent days, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest has come out strongly in defence of The Bahamas’ position as a willing and compliant partner in the war against money laundering and nefarious attempts to use tax-friendly jurisdictions for offensive, or even illegal, purposes. It was only last week that Mr Turnquest appeared to stand up against the OECD when once again international regulators held The Bahamas in the crosshairs of a threat to blacklist counties that failed to comply with international restrictions on money movement. “Regardless of the progress made, no matter the commitment, the goal posts seem to keep moving,” the DPM said during the 45th annual meeting of the Caribbean Association of Banks. We would like to congratulate Mr Turnquest for his stance, apparently fuelled by frustration and intended to send a signal to outside regulators determined to set the financial services agenda for The Bahamas that we are tired of bowing to one set of rules only to have new rules thrown at us. While we want to acknowledge his new strength in the face of everyone else telling The Bahamas what to do, the problem is this country is still facing the legacy issues that have plagued it for years. No sooner did Mr Turnquest issue his courageous salvo than once again we were under the microscope after it was revealed federal authorities in the US are seeking to recover millions of dollars from two local banks, suspected to be proceeds of a money laundering scheme operated by corrupt Venezuelan officials. There is good reason foreign exchange sees us as a friendly home. We were easy in the past and culture lingers long after policy changes. Furthermore, The Bahamas is the perfect climate for deposits, honest and otherwise. The country is a stable democracy. Its legislature traces its roots back more than 250 years. Never has there been a revolution and while
there is low level corruption that is undeniable in the access of everything from Customs duties to work permits, the government attempts to be aboveboard and relatively transparent. But the country continues to be plagued by legacy issues, the days of brief case banks and serious money laundering, the ineffectual management of the Bahamas Investment Authority which remains under the control of the Office of the Prime Minister instead of being independent as it should be and the promotion around the world that this is still a tax-friendly and, on some websites, a tax-free country. So for every step forward, there are three or more steps back, someone or some entity slipping through the cracks, selling the country on what it was instead of what it can be – a secure, English-speaking, warm weather destination that welcomes honest foreign residents and investors who want to find a place that is a safe haven, not just a tax haven. As the world becomes a more treacherous place for those of great means, The Bahamas needs to position itself and its financial services in a new light. Not as a place to dodge taxes or the law but an attractive, secure, democratic, modern and law-abiding place in which to live, work, invest and play. By showing what it has to offer rather than what it doesn’t – taxes – The Bahamas can lead the way in a new environment of those with substantial funds who, above all, seek security for themselves and their families in a jurisdiction that has never confiscated property or engaged in revolt. By being peaceful and relatively transparent, the country has a lot to gain in a troubled world of uncertainty. Even as we move closer to income tax or corporate taxation, there is much to boast about this country that remains estate tax free, where freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of movement are as revered as the sanctity of private property ownership and a cosmopolitan environment welcoming those who bring honest business to our shores.
Downtown is a disgrace EDITOR, The Tribune A RECENT opinion piece by Diane Phillips “Oh for just a little bit of imagination” in The Tribune is so timely, and in many ways unwittingly responds to another article by John Issa, “A View From Afar” where he asks why can’t we lure more tourists off the cruise ships. And in many ways Diane Philips answers that question admirably. Downtown Nassau is a disgraceful mess and most of us don’t even see it. Abandoned shops and office spaces tell of a bygone day, when things were good and shops were interesting and varied and bankers, bewigged lawyers, and accountants darted to and fro along Bay Street, dodging the tourists, as each went about whatever it was that they were doing. As with everything in The Bahamas, politics is at the root of any issue. Good or bad, but in this case it is bad. If one Google’s Downtown Nassau Partnership it abounds with stories and initiatives going back to The Nassau Tourism Development Board (NTDB) in 1995. Then in 2003 there is another kick at the cat and the Nassau Economic Development Commission
(NEDC) with bipartisan leadership of legendary businessman Norman Solomon and George Mackey, and its goal was to lay a foundation for the long term redevelopment of the City. And as the story goes, the Commission morphed into The Downtown Revitalisation Committee in 2007 and even this morphed into The Downtown Nassau Partnership”(DNP) two years later in 2009. Although the “morphing” seems to have stopped, nigh on 10 years later we have an even more dilapidated and rundown city than we had those many years ago when it was realised that “something” had to be done to “save” Nassau. Perhaps what is wrong is that what was supposed to be the economic hub of the country, has now turned into a civil service and judicial hub, that has now overrun what was once a quaint little town. Charlotte Street and Shirley Street, opposite to The Bahamas Financial Centre (yes, the one that should be full of Financial Institutions and International Bankers ) hosts what must be one of the law courts where the baddest of the bad are brought by speeding
sirened police cars, and the hand and foot shackled prisoners are emptied out into the narrow street, where frequently police with AK47 machine guns at the ready, stand by in case a breakaway is attempted, and one can only wonder “suppose they open fire”. And as we look south to the southern dead end of Charlotte Street with its quaint steps leading up to East Hill Street, this two lane street has its northbound lane for reserved parking presumably for senior civil servants or high court judges or both. This leaves one lane only to service both incoming and outgoing traffic. Go figure that one out if you are smart ! In Octotove 2017 you ran an editorial “Nassau Needs A Mayor, City Manager” eminently stated the obvious, yet one year later, we have a more dilapidated city than it has ever been and it keeps getting worse. In my view it is essentially that no government will cede control to any other body, even if it is a part of that body. Yet it is incapable of maintaining it, let alone improving it. BRUCE G RAINE Nassau September 6, 2018
On a dismal trajectory EDITOR, The Tribune WHEN I was a mere lad growing up is the settlement of West End, Grand Bahama, I used to hear older guys say that some Bahamian women would say “no” with their lips, but write “yes” in the dirt with their toes! Alas, indirect communication is entrenched in our culture. What we say is not always what we mean. We are a nation enthralled by platitudes; our politicians are masterful purveyors of platitudes. There are some critical issues facing our country that they can correct/change with a simple majority vote in Parliament. Our divorce laws are archaic, oppressive and expensive. Instead of commencing a comprehensive overhaul of our outdated model, the policy makers are sliding down a slippery slope called marital rape. Nonsense! A spiteful wife could easily sabotage her husband’s life by accusing him of marital rape, and if convicted in court he is ruined for life! She gets the house, the car and custody of the children. He gets prison time, criminal record; no job and no reputation. If we had sensible divorce laws she could file on grounds of cruelty, incompatibility, no fault, etc., get her divorce and they go their separate ways. Marital rape is just a back door avenue for divorce and further emasculation of the Bahamian male. I’m aware of many cases where a Bahamian couple separates, start families with other partners, but
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net never divorce. Twenty-two years after the estrangement the man dies. You guessed it; the vengeful wife commandeers the body, plans the funeral leaving the common law partner and her children of the programme. Medical and recreational marijuana is a topical issue nowadays. True to form, here we are peeping from behind the proverbial global gown-tail looking for guidance and approval. This is not the time for pusillanimous capitulation! Black Bahamians are keen to revive the injustices of the UBP reign when certain public places and positions were off limits to blacks. Well, that has been more than 50 years ago. We need to talk about how many thousands of black young Bahamians who have been marginalised and disenfranchised since majority rule for smoking recreational marijuana! So much of our human resource handicapped with criminal records: the stigma; stench; and brutality of Fox Hill. If we truly “had sense” we could have revolutionised the industry, by making POT a legal controlled drug. We must have squandered over a billion dollars in the unsuccessful war on marijuana, and in the process corrupted and compromised most of our institutions. Please stop trying to make it more palatable by throwing
“medical marijuana” out there for a consensus! I have never used “illegal drugs” and have no desire to do so, however, I fully support the legalisation of marijuana for personal and medical use. Archdeacon Palacious committed a cardinal sin when he said that black women breed too much. Well, what he say that for…..the indignant backlash was immediate! How dare he! Well, he was absolutely right! Yinna can get as emotive as yinna want; the empirical evidence is right before our collective disingenuous eyes. There is an alarming percentage of our population that are unproductive and/ or dysfunctional. These folks are the most prolific baby makers! Get real…. their offsprings are more than likely to be trapped in that same vicious cycle. No matter how politically correct we pretend to be, the consequences are brutally devastating. So we remain polite and every year, we build more schools; we find more hospital beds, expensive trauma units because of violent Bahamians; we eventually must build a bigger prison; find more money for social services. Meanwhile, the base of productive and responsible Bahamians (the ones who pay taxes) keep shirking. If we don’t get a handle on this dismal trajectory, the majority of us won’t have pot ter … in, nor window to throw it out! BRADLEY ARMBRISTER Freeport October 1, 2018
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Mighty dollar beats safety EDITOR, The Tribune MINISTRY of Health survey announcement….can the Minister explain why we are being asked to provide fingerprints as participation in the survey? If my fingerprints are taken by the police and I am not charged, the police are required to destroy them. if I am charged and go to court and found not guilty also, the fingerprints have to be destroyed. Immigration asking for fingerprints for ex-pats, for work permits and I understand permanent residents – why? Why suddenly this government wants fingerprints? CO2…does anyone care that the global levels of CO2, are the highest they have ever been in taking measurements, but
BP&L want to build an LNG fueled power station, whose emissions in the first year will exceed our current level by 25+%. The BEST Commission are they still working? OBAN ENERGY - yes an investment of $5.5 billion is enormous - but what pollution and environment damage will the refinery do? Does anyone care? Mighty dollar over safety and health. Statement from Finance…Sir, you added 5% to our VAT, you really thought your revenue would decrease? We are not that stupid, minister, but the squeeze you are putting on us is close to the max. W THOMPSON, Nassau October 30, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, November 6, 2018, PAGE 5
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis accepted a 300,000 cheque from Dr Tyrone McKenzie, senior vice president of Albany Bahamas to assist with the Over-The-Hill programme. Pictured from left, Rocky Nesbitt, project officer; Myra Farquharson; Samita Ferguson, executive manager of Over the Hill Community Development Partnership Initiative (OTHCDPI); Nicole Campbell, permanent secretary of Office of the Prime Minister; Reece Chipman, MP for Centreville; Dr Minnis; Dr McKenzie; Travis Robinson, MP for Bain and Grants Town; Viana Gardiner, chief operating officer of Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit; Aneesah Abdullah, OTHCDPI member; Daniella Pratt, OTHCDPI member and Shanell Moss, OTHCDPI member. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
$600,000 for Over-the-Hill from Albany By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net ALBANY Bahamas donated $300,000 yesterday for the development of the Southern Recreation Grounds as part of the government’s Over-the-Hill revitalisation programme. The donation is part of a $600,000 commitment the resort community has made. Accepting the donation yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said the government is eyeing some form of “affirmative action” whereby investors will reserve part of their investments for Overthe-Hill communities. He said as part of the project, as many as 50 people in the communities will be employed before Christmas, given the task of
“ensuring the safety of the environment and the entire community”. Dr Minnis received the donation from Dr Tyrone McKenzie, senior vice-president of Albany Bahamas. Having grown up in such a community, Dr McKenzie said he felt honoured to make the donation. Government officials said the Archdeacon William Edward Thompson Softball Field on the recreational grounds will be renovated soon. New playground equipment and adult exercise equipment will be made available. A basketball court also will be resurfaced. The Economic Empowerment Zone Bill was passed in the House of Assembly in late July after two days of debate. Dr Minnis, who wrapped up the debate, said at the
time that the legislation “will set the stage for the improved quality of lives of residents in Over-the-Hill” communities. The bill laid the legislative framework for several economic growth initiatives. Businesses in the area earning $5m in revenue or less may apply to the Ministry of Finance to receive a trade certificate. This certificate will allow for a waiver of business licence fees. It will also allow businesses that may require a vehicle for their operations to import one vehicle and pay no customs duties or other taxes on the vehicle. Upon application, requirements such as the clear marking of the vehicle and any other conditions will be outlined. The concessions under the bill will not extend to places that primarily sell alcohol or offer gaming.
CLEANING WORKERS AT HOSPITAL CAUGHT FIGHTING ON CAMERA By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Public Hospitals Authority expressed displeasure yesterday with two employees of a contracted cleaning services company who were caught on video fighting at Princess Margaret Hospital on Saturday. People tried to separate them, but the two maintained a tight grip on each other for most of the
22-second clip. The video has been shared dozens of times on Facebook. PHA said the incident happened in the downstairs corridor of PMH’s out patient’s wing. It was an employee and a supervisor hired by the contracted cleaning service company who were fighting. “The Authority takes a very dim view of any instance of unprofessional behaviour, particularly at its institutions and agencies,”
PHA said in a statement. “Violent behaviour is completely unacceptable in any healthy facility and will not be tolerated anywhere within the PHA. Instances of threats, abuses of violence will result in the involvement of hospital security, and where necessary, law enforcement.” PHA said the contractor has taken action to resolve the matter and hold the responsible parties accountable.
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and Dr Tyrone McKenzie yesterday.
PAGE 6, Tuesday, November 6, 2018
SUSPECT IS ACCUSED OF OKRA HILL STABBING
Plans to rein in electric costs By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net AS HE blamed rising international gas prices for the escalating cost of electricity in the country, Works Minister Desmond Bannister said Bahamas Power and Light has worked out interim solutions until Bahamians begin to reap rewards from the Shell North America deal. Speaking to reporters yesterday, Mr Bannister refused to go into great detail about burdensome electricity costs and when there could be some relief, but insisted the power provider had been forced to grapple with issues out of its control. Responding to questions on the issue, he repeatedly told this newspaper to seek explanation from BPL chairman Donovan Moxey, who is slated to make several public appearances in the coming days to address BPL matters. Attempts were made to reach the chairman yesterday, but these were not successful. “I think the chairman addressed that issue and he’s also going to be on a number of your stations,” the minister said when he was asked yesterday if the situation was expected to get a lot worse before it takes a turn for the better. “It’s important and I am going to let him address the issues and I addressed the issue over the weekend.
“What is important to appreciate, and I spoke with a number of colleagues and friends about this over the weekend, we are a very small market. If you look at the price of oil on the international market over the year - last year to now - you’ll see how much it has risen and see the intangibles that impact BPL. “What we are trying to do in the country, notwithstanding the increase, you will see the tremendous improvements that have been made at BPL. “Those are issues I would like to have the chairman address and he’s very, very willing to do so and very, very pleased to do so. “It’s a start over the weekend we are on the way. We signed the MOU (memorandum of understanding) with Shell, we are on the way to seeking some tremendous developments in this country with BPL and I am very, very pleased with what I have seen.” Asked what was expected to happen until the Shell North America deal bears fruit, Mr Bannister said: “As I indicated it is better for you to get the details from the chairman. I don’t want to usurp his authority. It’s better for him to address these issues. “BPL has a number of interim solutions that they have already started to put in place and it’s important for us to be able to be transparent with them and I am sure that he’s going to go into great detail to explain
By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
MINISTER of Works Desmond Bannister. Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff them to the Bahamian planned to invest on the people.” project, stating it was too He further revealed that early to tell. insurers are still conducting “In terms of starting coninvestigations on the fires struction it won’t start until which occurred at BPL’s after the PPA (power purpower plant at Clifton Pier chase agreement) has been in September. negotiated, all of the envi“The insurers have their ronmental studies, impact investigators there looking assessments, environmenat them and when we have tal plans have been done,” the reports we are going to Mr Moxey said on Friday. share them with the country “Everything is done in because it’s very important accordance with the planfor them to know exactly ning and subdivisions act why that occurred and what and we follow all those the problems were.” processes. On Friday, the coun“And so the hope for us try was said to be one step is that we get construction closer to lower energy bills started soon enough so and more stable electricity that we can have the plant generation with the sign- online by the early 2020’s. ing of a memorandum of Our target goal is sometime understanding between before or around 2022 but BPL and Shell North you never know what may America for an integrated delay the project moving LNG gas-to-power project. forward.” However, it is not clear Shell, the project develwhether consumers will feel oper and independent the impact of the compa- power producer, will absorb ny’s transition to liquefied the costs of developing natural gas this term as the marine infrastructure, and project, which features a constructing the gas pipe220-250 megawatt (MW) line, LNG terminal and new power plant is not slated power plant, according to to be completed until the Mr Moxey, who said nego“early 2020’s”. tiations will now turn to Shell officials were also locking down commercial unable to offer any esti- agreements over the supply mates on how much it rate.
HAROLD Taylor is accused of stabbing a man to death and wounding his girlfriend at the abandoned City Lodge building in Okra Hill on Tuesday of last week. The 34-year-old, of Shirley Street, was made to stand before Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux charged with one count each of murder and attempted murder stemming from the October 30 incident. It is alleged that on the date in question, Taylor murdered Jason Young, and attempted to murder his girlfriend, Latoya Bain. According to initial reports, police said they received information about a woman in distress shortly after 8am on the date in question and responded to the scene at Okra Hill, off Shirley Street. Upon arrival, officers found a woman with injuries, and acting on information, searched a bushy area where they found Young partially wrapped in a sheet with trauma to his body. Police Chief Superintendent Solomon Cash said once responding officers spoke with the woman, she told them that both she and her boyfriend were attacked by a man at the property just hours earlier, around 4am. The woman told police the altercation had resulted in both of them receiving injuries about the body, with those sustained by her boyfriend proving to be fatal. CSP Cash said officers spoke with several other people at the scene, and
THE TRIBUNE
following those conversations, were able to take a man into custody. CSP Cash said that the man led police to the body. At last check, the woman was said to be in stable condition in hospital. Taylor was not required to enter a plea to the charge and the case was adjourned to December 18 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI). Bail was denied and he was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS) in the interim. Before being remanded, however, Taylor told the magistrate he had issues with being detained in the maximum security section of the Fox Hill facility, and requested that he be housed in the remand section instead. Magistrate TurnquestDeveaux told the accused that she would make a note of his concerns, but intimated that his placement in the facility is at the discretion of prison officials, and that they will place him where there is space to accommodate him. Meanwhile, 40-year-old Carlos Brown was also charged before Magistrate Turnquest-Deveaux with the murder of Renaldo Bullard, whose body was found with injuries and partly covered with branches in a bushy area on Martin’s Close off Cowpen Road. Police allege the crime occurred sometime between October 25 and 28. Brown was not required to enter a plea to the charge and was remanded to prison until December 19 for service of a Voluntary Bill of Indictment. Taylor and Brown have the right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.
FIVE WOMEN FINED FOR OVERSTAYING IN THE BAHAMAS By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
FIVE Hispanic women were fined upwards of
$1,000 each yesterday for overstaying their time in The Bahamas, with three of them further fined for being caught with altered immigration stamps in their
passports by immigration authorities. Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans fined Dominican Republic native Jomariel Pena and
Funeral Service
Cora Yvonne Carey, 86
Venezuela native Albertliz Vasquez Perez $3,000 and $1,000 respectively for overstaying. Pena, who overstayed by 42 days, faces three months in prison if she defaults, while Perez, who overstayed by five days, faces one month if she fails to pay. Meanwhile, Colombia natives Katia Velasco Jimenez and Ingrid Castro Gonzalez, as well as Venezuela native Yilary Lugo Castillo were fined $3,000 each for overstaying as well as being in possession of an altered Bahamas immigration stamp.
Castillo overstayed by 44 days; Gonzalez by 27 days, and Jimenez by 18 days, according to immigration prosecutors. Failure to pay the fines for being in possession of an altered Bahamas immigration stamp would result in the three women serving six months in prison, while defaulting on the fine for overstaying would result in three months in prison. The time is to be served concurrently. A Jamaican man who admitted to being their caretaker, Romeo Valentino Hartley, was sentenced to one year in
prison for harbouring the five women without reasonable cause. According to the facts by immigration prosecutor Avia Beckford, on November 1, Chief Immigration Officer Harold Thurston led a team of immigration officers to a residence in Venice Bay where they discovered the five Hispanic women. All five had overstayed their time in The Bahamas, and three of them were found with fraudulent immigration stamps in their passports. Hartley was also found at the residence in question.
Funeral Service For Thelma Kathleen Cartwright née Culmer, 85
of Winton Highway, Nassau, The Bahamas, who died at the Princess Margaret Hospital, Shirley Street, Nassau, on Monday, 29th October, 2018, will be held at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Shirley Street, Nassau, on Thursday, 8th November, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. Father Anselm Russell will officiate and interment will follow in Woodlawn Gardens Cemetery, Soldier Road, Nassau. She was predeceased by her husband, Morton Carey and daughter, Anne Marie Jenner. She is survived by her children, Philip and Kim Carey, Jonathan and Shena Carey and Cecile Carey; grandchildren, Andrew and Rebecca Carey, Christopher Carey, Matthew and Aliya Carey, Spencer Carey, Jonathan and Violet Carey, Stephen and Sherry Carey, Joyanne Carey and Jessica Jenner; great grandchildren, Sadie and Tristan, Shilah, Jonathan III, Jordin, Aaliyah, Mollie and Jonas; son-in-law, David Jenner and many other relatives and close friends. Relatives and friends may pay their respects at Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited, Palmdale Avenue, Palmdale, Nassau, on Wednesday, 7th November, 2018 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Instead of flowers the family request that donations be sent to The Nazareth Centre Home For Children, Millennium Gardens, P.O. Box N. 8187, Nassau in memory of Mrs. Cora Yvonne Carey. Arrangements by Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited.
of Franklyn Avenue off Boyd Road and formerly of Savannah Sound, Eleuthera, will be held on Wednesday, 7th November, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at Grants Town Seventh Day Adventist Church, Wellington Street. Officiating will be Pastor Basil Sturrup, assisted by other ministers of the Gospel. Interment will follow in Lakeview Memorial Gardens, John F. Kennedy Drive. Pre-deceased by her son: Raynold. Left to cherish her memories are her children: Christopher Livingston, Wayne (Mavis), Stephanie (Orthnell) Hield, Cecil (Eldina), Constance (J. Anthony) McKinney, Sheldon, Patricia Michelle (Phillip) Johnson, Brendan “FU” and Antoinette (Michael) Moxey; sister: Lona Pearl Wells; numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren, nieces and nephews and other relatives and friends including: Cecil Cartwright Sr. Friends may pay their last respects at Bethel Brothers Morticians #44 Nassau Street on Tuesday from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. and at the church on Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. until service time.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, November 6, 2018, PAGE 7
Taking the plunge to help fight breast cancer
Man shot dead on street in Bimini By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
CHIEF Aliv officer Damian Blackburn taking part in Dunkin’ For Boobies, one of several events Aliv has taken part in to help fight breast cancer. IN an effort to continue expanding its corporate responsibilities, Aliv sponsored several initiatives with a breast cancer awareness focus donating more than $5,000 for the month of October. One of these involved Nurse Catherine Theresias’ initiative that seeks to provide free mammograms to women in need. Nurse Theresias has more than 15 years’ experience in nursing. She made a plea in a local newspaper to raise funds for women to receive mammograms, leading Aliv to make a donation. Aliv – through its “Deal of the Week” campaign – will also be giving several of its female customers free
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mammograms. The criteria included being over the age of 35 and not having any insurance. The winners will be contacted over the course of the next few weeks. On October 2, several Aliv executives including chief Aliv officer Damian Blackburn participated in “Dunkin’ For Boobies” - a breast cancer awareness fundraiser hosted by 100JAMZ. Aliv also made a donation that went to several groups including the Cancer Society of the Bahamas and Sister, Sister breast cancer support group, among other initiatives. “Aliv remains resolute in its promise to the people of The Bahamas. It is
a central part of our responsibility to get involved and do whatever we can to assist groups or individuals looking to raise funds and donate to The Cancer Society of the Bahamas. “Aliv’s sponsorship marks a successful collaborative effort to promote cancer awareness and assist individuals in The Bahamas living with the debilitating disease. “We always tell people that we are more than a mobile telecommunications company and by engaging in different initiatives to raise funds for breast cancer awareness shows the public that,” Aliv events, sponsorship and community manager Bianca Sawyer said.
BIMINI police are investigating a homicide on that island after a Grand Bahama man was shot dead there on Sunday. According to Assistant Superintendant Terecita Pinder, the shooting occurred shortly after 9pm at a business in Porgy Bay. She said that several men were standing outside a business when a gunman, wearing black clothing, opened fire shooting one of the men multiple times in his body. The gunman fled on foot and the male victim was taken to the Bimini clinic where he died of his injuries. The incident pushed the country’s murder count to 75 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records. This killing comes nearly a week after police found a man stabbed to death in
an abandoned building in New Providence. Last Tuesday, police said a victim was found stabbed and wrapped in a sheet in a bushy area outside the old City Lodge property in the Okra Hill area. At the time, police said they received information about a woman in distress shortly after 8am on October 30 and responded to the scene off Shirley Street. Officers met a woman with injuries, and acting on information, searched a bushy area where they found the deceased partially wrapped in a sheet with trauma to his body. At last report, the woman was said to be in stable condition in hospital. Anyone with information on the most recent killing is asked to call Bimini police at 347-3144, the Central Detective Unit in Grand Bahama at 350-3107 through 12, 911, 919, the nearest police station or the Crime Stoppers tip-line at 328-TIPS.
DRIVER KILLED AS VEHICLE CRASHES INTO BUILDING
A MAN died on Sunday after his car crashed into a building. Police said shortly after 11am, a man was driving a blue Toyota Progress on McCullough Corner when he apparently lost control
of the vehicle and crashed into a building. Fire Services officers and paramedics were called to remove the victim from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
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PAGE 8, Tuesday, November 6, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
It’s all in the details if you care to read them I
N WRITING its 2018 Annual Report, the board of directors of Cable Bahamas faced a challenging task: how to explain to shareholders that larger losses in net income and earnings per share should not obscure the strong prospects for long-term growth. The key figures cannot be found from a quick review of the last two years’ income statements, since the 2018 accounts cover the 12-month fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, while 2017 covers the previous 18 months, making any direct comparisons irrelevant. Instead, one must turn to Management Discussion and Analysis, a comprehensive review comprising almost the entire report before the audited financial statements. Scattered through this section, we see that total revenue increased to $224m in fiscal 2018, up from $194m in the previous 12 months. The largest
increase was in the ALIV subsidiary, up 184 percent to $24m. Management Discussion also provides interesting quarterly figures. In the eight quarters through June 30, 2018, revenue per quarter rose from $45m to $59m; however, net loss jumped from $4m to $9m, and loss per share rose from $0.09 to $0.13, leading to a negative $0.56 per share for fiscal 2018. Clearly, steady top-line growth in all segments of Cable’s business has been offset by continued heavy start-up, development and depreciation charges, primarily incurred by ALIV to achieve its extraordinary growth over only two years since receiving its licence. Rising EBITDA – basically cash flow from operations – has been the better metric of performance. The crucial crossover to profitability was forecast by ALIV boss Damian Blackburn to be reached in the summer of 2019. Given ALIV’s
accomplishments to date, this appears a reasonable prediction; thereafter, with growing success in the Florida business of Summit
Regrettably, we inform the general public that Kassiti Capron has declined to represent the brand and as such declined her International contract. Unfortunately, she is not prepared to compromise her integrity and reputation for the sake of an appellation. As a result, she does not wish to continue with pageantry instead she has chosen to focus on her education. Kassiti further advises she never “relinquished” her National Title and had not the slightest conception of the application of the word “relinquished” as used in the communication be the Little and Junior Miss Regency Bahamas Organization’s statement. She continues her platform to raise self confidence and self love through reading while being a positive beacon of hope for all. She wishes to thank all her family, friends and supporters for their commitment in this regard. “People will forget what you said; people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou (one of her favorite poets)
Masks & Crowns by Kassiti Capron STOP, what are you are doing! LEAVE, what you are getting! FORGET, what you are remembering! HELP, what you are hurting! In my life there are masks and crowns There are ups and downs I once thought that a group of people were nice But their behavior is bad; it is as cold as ice Their heart has to be frozen For them, bad decisions were chosen A little girl was hurt A little girl thrown into the dirt At least she had her mother She showed her love and no other She picked her up and dusted her off It is a good thing they wear the masks And mother and daughter wear the crown Paid Advertisement
Broadband, Cable as a group should soon return to profitability and resume long-awaited dividend payments. Management Discussion should be read closely for its wealth of informative detail about the basic threepronged business known as REV and the plans for future initiatives. The section could have been better planned by providing a tabular consolidation of the financial information for readers to grasp more easily, but the basic message is clear. It was essential the group bank debt be renegotiated, as roughly $97m was about to come due this September 30, wiping out current assets. No doubt after long negotiations, the principal was extended to 2020, giving leeway for other adjustments if needed. Before year-end, an Annual Meeting will be held giving further presentations to shareholders and opening questions to the management team led by the new CEO, well-known Bahamian business leader Franklyn Butler II, previously a Cable Director.
BAHAMAS PROPERTY FUND: BISX ENFORCEMENT? As seen above, Cable Bahamas’ year-end financial statements dated June 30 were followed only four months later by publication of its tremendously detailed Annual Report. By contrast, Bahamas Property Fund (BPF), also listed on BISX, produced its 2017 annual financial statements at the end of February and still, nine months later, shareholders have not seen an Annual Report. With no Management Discussion and Analysis, they are left in the dark about BPF’s business and its prospects for the future. It’s no wonder that there has been no share trading for over two years and that thousands of shares are lodged in brokers’ unfilled sell orders that do not attract buyers at any price, despite BISX recently lowering the minimum trading level. Compared with Cable Bahamas, BPF is a minnow with a book net worth of $30m, whose assets consist solely of two business properties in downtown Nassau and one on Paradise Island, held for rental income. Yet the fund’s Manager, Royal
It was essential the group bank debt be renegotiated, as roughly $97m was about to come due this September 30, wiping out current assets. No doubt after long negotiations, the principal was extended to 2020, giving leeway for other adjustments if needed.
FidelityMerchant Bank, has been unable to produce an Annual Report in all this time. Apparently the appraisers and auditors cannot agree on a fair market value for these holdings, so nothing gets published. Who gets hurt? 2.4 million ordinary shares are outstanding, registered in only 67 names. Many of these names are pension funds and investment companies acting for their clients, so there must be hundreds if not thousands of beneficial owners. Fifty-six percent of the shares are registered to Royal Fidelity, who thus has legal control of BPF, acting for parties who may or may not agree with its management effectiveness. BPF has no board of directors or administration of its own; all these functions are held by Royal Fidelity under its contract as fund manager, naturally receiving a management fee. Its close affiliate Fidelity Bank created and sponsored BPF over ten years ago, and handled the original offering to shareholders. To avoid obvious conflicts of interest, it seems only normal that these arrangements should be reviewed by all beneficial owners. A vote should taken of all parties having a direct or an indirect equity stake in BFP. More immediately, an informative Annual Report should be issued by Royal Fidelity and made available to all interested parties, followed by an open meeting. BISX is the obvious party to demand these measures and compel compliance, under ultimate sanction by our Securities Commission – which certainly should not be necessary.
WHAT’S HAPPENING TO THE LANDFILL? On August 30, a press report about our infamous
solidstate landfill announced that with Cabinet approval Environment Minister Ferreira had issued a letter of appointment to the Waste Resources Development Group (WRDG) consortium headed by financial firm Providence Advisors and including local companies experienced in waste collection and management. They were the winning bidders in a competition to clean up the dump and dispose of the garbage, in a way that could include a waste-to-energy facility producing electric power. Providence CEO Ken Kerr was quoted as saying the current state of the landfill was a “nightmare” that would cost an estimated $130m to be put in proper condition. Then in mid-October the Minister disclosed that Government and WRDG were working “feverishly” to complete the contractual terms of the arrangement to meet a possible year- end deadline. Nothing has been released about the proposed terms or the scope of the new contract, and clearly WRGD has been unable to commence serious remedial work. Fortunately, we have not recently suffered any of the deep fires that turn the landfill into a pyre of toxic smoke that infects health in hundreds of homes and makes the Baha Mar golf course unplayable. But this emergency could recur at any time. We trust that the local experts, with or without a contract, will be ready to suppress the flames and fumes; If they can eventually generate a few megawatts of renewable electricity, that’s an added bonus. Although the process has been in gestation for nearly a year, anything is better than the PLP solution that appointed the opaque Renew Bahamas, who did little before walking off the job amid a flurry of claims and counter-claims. Next issue: How we might catch up with Singapore – more Immigration!
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, November 6, 2018, PAGE 9
Chipman: No regrets for criticism of government By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net DAYS after the Free National Movement stressed the need for unity at a conclave, Centreville MP Reece Chipman said he does not regret his past criticisms of the Minnis administration’s policies. However, he added, the governing party remains “unified”. Mr Chipman is one of four FNM backbenchers who staunchly opposed the increase of value added tax to 12 percent and the lease of the Town Centre Mall, which is owned by Financial Services & Immigration Minister Brent Symonette and his brother and is being temporarily leased to house the new General Post Office. “In my opinion, there are no regrets in the business or art of politics,” he said yesterday. “There are only regrets where the respect for people and the hurt of people come into question. Any criticism of our policy made by me has been, I am convinced, in the best interest of the Bahamian people and in the best interest of our party. Therefore, absolutely no regrets.” According to The Tribune’s sources, none of the four rebel MPs, which include Mr Chipman, Bain and Grants Town MP Travis Robinson,
Golden Isles MP Vaughn Miller and Pineridge representative Frederick McAlpine, offered a fullthroated apology for their criticisms during the weekend’s conclave, though at least one offered a blanket apology for causing offence to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. The standing of the four in the party was expected to be discussed at the conclave. Wary of making them martyrs, the FNM has been reluctant to break with them publicly in any concrete way, sources claim. Mr Chipman said the conclave was important for the party. “We are unified,” he said. “Unity as we all know has to be practised and I think we are committed to practising unity to get to the point where we are able to fulfil all or most of what we said we would do from our manifesto’s perspective.” Asked about the quality of his relationship with the party, he said: “I can’t say that I have a disconnect in terms of the overall feel of it. I think we do recognise there is some work to be done and we are all willing to work on it. I don’t think there is a sense of a lack of support of what the government puts forth. Dissenting or having a different point of view is not that you do not support a government. You do not support
a position or a particular item on an agenda but it’s not that you do not support a government. For me, moving forward, what has transpired (at the conclave) has nothing to do with what will happen going forth.” Frank Watson, former deputy prime minister, said yesterday that attendees left the conclave with no clear indication any action will be taken against the rebel four. “The leader’s job is to keep the party together,” he said. “Something serious has to happen for the leader to tell someone to leave. I don’t think the leader is going to rush to put them out because of a matter they are discussing publicly that they feel strong about.” Of all the rebel four’s criticisms, Mr Watson said the one that concerned him the most was Mr Miller’s contention that the administration, like its predecessors, engaged in corruption by leasing the Town Centre Mall. “One of those fellas kind of went out on a limb,” Mr Watson said. “He made some remarks that said the government is engaging in corruption practices. That goes beyond the average criticism. If you believe it say it inside, don’t say it on the floor of the House of Assembly.” Asked what the party should do about it, Mr Watson said: “I haven’t got a clue.”
REECE CHIPMAN, MP for Centreville.
Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
FNM ‘TRYING TO SUPPRESS FREE SPEECH’ AT CONCLAVE By RIEL MAJOR
PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party chairman Fred Mitchell yesterday attacked the governing Free National Movement for trying to “punish and suppress free speech” at its two-day conclave on the weekend. In a press statement Mr Mitchell critcised the conclave, claiming the party was trying to silence outspoken backbenchers in the face of “their poor performance in government”. Mr Mitchell said: “The press release by the FNM about their not-so-secret conclave reminds you of the line of poetry: what a web we weave when first we practice to deceive.” His comments came a day after the FMN released
a press statement about the event, which was closed to the media and the public. Mr Mitchell said: “The FNM’s press release was laughable. “Eighteen months after deceiving... their way into office, with a 60 percent tax hike on the backs of the Bahamian poor and a record of firing 3,500 poor people, shortchanging the nurses but fixing up their own minister of immigration with a fat contract, the FNM has a nerve. “No amount of rewriting and revisionism at the not-so-secret conclave can disguise the rancour, intimidation and attempts to punish and suppress free speech that reportedly occurred at the conclave. “It is shameful what the FNM’s leaders attempted
to do with their MPs. The whole purpose was to enforce a uniform public silence in the face of their poor performance in government,” Mr Mitchell said. The chairman said what the FNM does behind closed doors is solely their business but what is seen in the public is the government not being able to generate a good headline to save their lives. “We see a government that is bungling its way from one crisis to the next,” Mr Mitchell said. “In the meantime, The Bahamas and the Bahamian people suffer. All PLPs and people of goodwill must now work harder than ever to remove this unworthy, deceitful and untrustworthy FNM government from office.” According to the FNM’s
statement, at the event Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis renewed his pledge to improve his party’s communications programme as he told party members his administration’s mistakes were louder than its accomplishments. Dr Minnis touted his party’s achievements – such as lowering the deficit, a downtrend in crime and planned rejuvenation of Over-the-Hill communities – but said these positives are not being heard because of errors. He also reportedly told parliamentarians in a closed session on Friday they must govern together because they were elected together. “The people called for us, the FNM. They wanted us to rescue, restore, rebuild and revitalise our Bahamas.
We won together so we must govern together,” Dr Minnis told party members, according the FNM’s statement. The two-day conclave came on the heels of four dissenting FNM parliamentarians voting against a resolution for the government to rent the Town Centre Mall from Cabinet minister Brent Symonette and his brother. The dissenting MPs – Golden Isles MP Vaughn Miller, Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine, Centreville MP Reece Chipman and Bain and Grants Town MP Travis Robinson – also voted against the VAT hike earlier this year. It has been reported two of the MPs gave an apology of sorts for critical comments they have made
about the government. However sources told The Tribune on Sunday the comments were not a direct apology. “One of them apologised to the PM,” the source said, “saying ‘I’m sorry I may or may not have offended you personally.’ Nobody apologised for voting (against the government). They just said sorry for offending in whatever way they may or may not have.” “It’s not apologetic, they’re not apologetic for their actions,” another party member told The Tribune yesterday. “These are disloyal individuals. I wouldn’t be surprised if they kick up whenever the mood is not right. If you say you’re loyal to me, your loyalty ain’t conditional.”
READERS RESPOND TO GOVT PLANS FOR NHI AND LNG AFTER Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands warned that all doctors, healthcare facilities and insurers must cut their fees if the National Health Insurance model is to succeed and be financially viable, readers gave their reactions on tribune242. com. Dawes had this response: “Sounds good, also, if all of the civil service can take a large pay cut and MPs work for free (well continue to pretend to work), we can make a massive reduction on the deficit and maybe even a surplus.” Porcupine said: “I will
forward this to all of the doctors and insurance agents I know. They will be thrilled to see their obligations and bills remain the same and their revenues going down.” Mikel wasn’t convinced: “The presumption is breathtaking: Politicians believe they can suspend the laws of economics. Dr Sands speaks of the health
care industry trading lower fees and charges for higher volume. That’s exactly the supposed deal made for Obamacare in the US and what actually happened? Costs, charges, premiums all skyrocketed. Why? An increase in demand for goods and services without a commensurate increase in the supply of those goods and services inevitably drives the price higher, not lower.” But JohnBrown1834 posted this comment: “Seems like none of you read the plan. It is better for them to make $20 from 100 customers than to charge
$100 for their current one customer. Everyone will make a substantially larger amount at the end of the day, they just have to work harder. In The Bahamas, insurance companies make three times more profit than comparative other countries. We have to fix the system for the benefit of everyone.” And ThisIsOurs had this to say: “If that’s the requirement for this to work, sadly it won’t. These doctors have their entire business plans based on their current fees and clientele. They can’t hope that government pays them on time. It can take
months to get your money, no business will give up known income for hopes and dreams. The only doctors who will accept this without complaint are the ones without clients.” The news that a memorandum of understanding had been signed between Bahamas Power and Light and Shell North America for an integrated LNG gasto-power project prompted this comment from TheMadHatter: “Ready to become a campaign promise in 2022. Amazing how the same stories repeat in just a different disguise.” Ohdrap4 said: “The
energy bill WILL NOT BE LOWER. Someone has to pay for the plant – that means you. In countries where people have solar generation, the electricity rates are higher. Try getting an LNG generator for your home. It is much more expensive to run than a diesel one.” And John offered this: “When Leslie ‘PotCake’ Miller had this proposal more than ten years ago it was shot down like a pigeon. Are we there yet?” • Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.
PAGE 10, Tuesday, November 6, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
FIVE SONGS WHICH DEFINED A DECADE Blowin’ in the Wind, Bob Dylan, 1963 A Change is Gonna Come, Sam Cooke, 1964 Come See About Me, The Supremes, 1964 Say it Loud, I’m Black And I’m Proud, James Brown, 1968 Respect, Aretha Franklin, 1967 By Michael V Drake President The Ohio State University WHEN Sly and the Family Stone released Everyday People at the end of 1968, it was a rallying cry after a tumultuous year of assassinations, civil unrest and a seemingly interminable war. “We got to live together,” he sang, “I am no better and neither are you.” Throughout history, artists and songwriters have expressed a longing for equality and justice through their music. Before the Civil War, African-American slaves gave voice to their oppression through protest songs camouflaged as Biblical spirituals. In the 1930s, jazz singer Billie Holiday railed against the practice of lynching in Strange Fruit. Woody Guthrie’s folk ballads from the 1930s and 1940s often commented on the plight of the working class. But perhaps in no other time in American history did popular music more clearly reflect the political and cultural moment than the soundtrack of the 1960s – one that exemplified a new and overt social consciousness. That decade, a palpable energy slowly burned and intensified through a succession of events: the assassination of John F Kennedy in 1963, the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. By the mid-1960s, frustration about the slow pace of change began to percolate with riots in multiple cities. Then, in 1968, two awful events occurred within months of each other: the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and Robert Kennedy. Through it all, there was the music. Coming of age during this time in northern California, I had the opportunity to hear some of the era’s soundtrack live – James Brown, Marvin Gaye, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and The Doors. At the same time, virtually everyone in the African-American community was directly connected in some way or another to the civil rights movement. Every year, I revisit this era in an undergraduate class I teach on music, civil rights and the Supreme Court. With this perspective as a backdrop, here are five songs, followed by a playlist that I share with my students. While they offer a window into the awakening and reckoning of the times, the tracks have assumed a renewed relevance and resonance today. Blowin’ in the Wind, Bob Dylan, 1963 First made a hit by the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, the song signalled a new consciousness and became the most covered of all Dylan songs. The song asks a series of questions that appeal to the listener’s moral compass, while the timeless imagery of the lyrics – cannonballs, doves, death, the sky – evoke a longing for peace and freedom that spoke to the era. As one critic noted in 2010: “There are songs that are more written by their times than by any individual in that time, a song that the times seem to call for, a song that is just gonna be a perfect strike rolled right down the middle of the lane, and the lane has already been grooved for the strike.” This song – along with others such as A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall and Chimes of Freedom – are among the reasons Bob Dylan received the Nobel Prize in Literature. A Change is Gonna Come, Sam Cooke, 1964 During a 1963 tour in the South, Cooke and his band were refused lodging at a hotel in Shreveport, Louisiana. African Americans routinely faced segregation and prejudice in the Jim Crow South, but this particular experience shook Cooke. So he put pen to paper and tackled a subject that represented a departure for Cooke, a crossover artist who made his name with a series of Top 40 hits. The lyrics reflect the anguish of being an
Soundtrack of the Sixties demanded respect, justice and equality
STARS of the Sixties: Main picture: Sly and the Family Stone. Above, from the left, James Brown, Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin. Below, The Supremes. Left, Bob Dylan. extraordinary pop headliner who nonetheless needs to go through a side door. Showcasing Cooke’s gospel roots, it’s a song that painfully and beautifully captures the edge between hope and despair. “It’s been a long, a long time coming,” he croons. “But I know a change is gonna come.” Sam Cooke, in composing A Change is Gonna Come, was also inspired by Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind: According to Cooke’s biographer, upon hearing Dylan’s song, Cooke “was almost ashamed to have not written something like that himself.” Come See About Me, The Supremes, 1964 This was one of my favourites of their songs at the time – upbeat, fun and necessarily “unpolitical”. The Supremes’ record label, Motown, played an important role bridging a cultural divide during the civil rights era by catapulting black musicians to global stardom. The Supremes were the Motown act with arguably the broadest appeal, and they paved the way for other black artists to enjoy creative success as mainstream acts. Through their 20 top-10 hits and 17 appearances from 1964 to 1969 on
CBS’ popular weekly live programme The Ed Sullivan Show, the group had a regular presence in the living rooms of black and white families across the country. Say it Loud – I’m Black And I’m Proud, James Brown, 1968 James Brown – the self-proclaimed “hardest working man in showbusiness” – built his reputation as an entertainer par excellence with brilliant dance moves, meticulous staging and a cape routine. But with Say it Loud – I’m Black And I’m Proud, Brown seemed to be consciously delivering a starkly political statement about being black in America. The track’s straightforward, unadorned lyrics allowed it to quickly become a black
pride anthem that promised “we won’t quit movin’ until we get what we deserve.” Respect, Aretha Franklin, 1967 If I could choose only one song to represent the era it would be Respect. It’s a cover of a track previously written and recorded by Otis Redding. But Franklin makes it wholly her own. From the opening lines, the Queen of Soul doesn’t ask for respect; she demands it. The song became an anthem for the black power and women’s movements. As Franklin explained in her 1999 autobiography: “It was the need of a nation, the need of the average man and woman in the street, the businessman, the mother, the fireman, the teacher – everyone wanted respect. It was also one of the battle cries of the civil rights movement. The song took on monumental significance.” Of course, these five songs can’t possibly do the decade’s music justice. Some other tracks that I share with my students and count among my favourites include Simon & Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence, Barry McGuire’s Eve of Destruction and Lou Rawls’ Dead End Street. theconversation.com
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, November 6, 2018, PAGE 11
New Palm Cay phase creates 75 jobs
A GROUNDBREAKING ceremony for ONE Marina held at Palm Cay. St Andrews Faculity and staff along with students pictured with Minister of Works Desmond Bannister and Palm Cay CEO Rob Batchelor. Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
from page one Rob Batchelor, Palm Cay CEO, said he’s optimistic about the development and expects there to be great interest as seven of the first ten condominium units have already been sold. “Well we’ve sold seven of the first 10 and we haven’t really went to market yet,” he said in response to a question from The Tribune. “So in that sense I’m fantastically optimistic that when we start to see the columns go up, the steel being erected, thinking of the platform that this will create, from that point of view I’m expecting interest to start to explode.” Overall, One Marina is a $100m project which will see luxury condominiums and a penthouse complex constructed with panoramic
views overlooking Palm Cay’s marina and the surrounding ocean. One Marina will also feature 84 two and three bedroom residences, starting at $750,000 per unit. Its completion is expected in the first quarter of 2020. Works Minister Desmond Bannister also spoke, telling those gathered that the government was pleased developers were investing in the country. He said it showed they retained confidence that The Bahamas was a destination that could bring a turnaround in investment. He said based on the way Palm Cay had been developed, it was obvious the high-end residential area would be popular among the wealthy. “We wish you all the very best and my ministry sometimes we aren’t as quick as we ought to be, but we try,” Mr Bannister said.
PAGE 12, Tuesday, November 6, 2018
ARETHA FRANKLIN
ARETHA FILM TO BE RELEASED 46 YEARS ON NEW YORK Associated Press MORE than 46 years after it was shot, the Aretha Franklin concert film “Amazing Grace” will finally be released, ending one of the most tortured and long-running sagas in documentary film. The late gospel singer’s estate and film producers said Monday that Amazing Grace will premiere November 12 at the DOC NYC film festival with the full support of Franklin’s estate. The film, largely shot by Sydney Pollack, captures Franklin’s performance at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles’ Watts neighborhood in January 1972. The music from the two performances was released as a landmark double live album in 1972. But Pollack’s footage proved virtually impossible to edit because the filmmaker failed to sync the sound. After acquiring the film’s rights from Pollack in 2007, producer Alan Elliott brought in a team to construct the film, which Elliott calls “a labor of love”.
RAPPER DIED FROM DRUGS AND BOOZE LOS ANGELES Associated Press RAPPER Mac Miller died from an accidental overdose caused by a combination of cocaine, alcohol, and the powerful opioid fentanyl, a coroner’s report released yesterday said. The Los Angeles County coroner’s report named Miller’s cause of death as “mixed toxicity” of the three substances found in his system. The 26-year-old Pittsburgh native, who frankly discussed his depression and addiction in his rhymes, died suddenly on September 7.
MAC MILLER He was known to many as Ariana Grande’s ex-boyfriend, but had a devoted following that included some of the biggest names in hip-hop. Miller’s personal assistant, making a daily visit to Miller’s home in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, found him unresponsive on his bed at about 11.30am, the report states. The assistant moved the body to the floor and performed CPR at the direction of a 911 operator. Paramedics soon arrived and Miller was declared dead 16 minutes after the initial 911 call.
THE TRIBUNE
Trump warns of ‘fragile’ victories for party CLEVELAND Associated Press IN HIS final pitch to voters, President Donald Trump implored Republicans yesterday to help preserve “fragile” GOP victories that could be erased by Democrats as he closes out a midterm campaign that has been defined by his racially charged rhetoric, hard-line immigration moves and scattershot policy proposals. Trump’s shadow has hung over the midterm elections that will determine the future of his presidency, with the months-long fight serving as a testing ground for his nationalist appeals and the strength of the coalition that powered him to the White House two years ago. Acknowledging the stakes in the closing days of campaigning, Trump stressed to voters that everything is on the line when they go to the polls. “It’s all fragile. Everything I told you about, it can be undone and changed by the Democrats if they get in,” Trump told supporters on a telephone “town hall” organised by his reelection campaign. “You see how they’ve behaved. You see what’s happening with them. They’ve really become radicalised.” Trump spent the final day on the trail Monday in Ohio, the perennial presidential battleground, with further stops planned in Indiana and Missouri. With hours to go until polls closed, he harshened his rhetoric on illegal immigration and lobbed attacks at Democrats. In a Monday tweet, he warned that law enforcement was “strongly notified to watch closely for any ILLEGAL VOTING which may take place in Tuesday’s Election (or Early Voting).” Trump has falsely claimed that millions of illegal votes were cast in 2016, depriving him of a victory in the popular vote, and he has stoked concerns, without providing evidence, of rampant fraudulent voting. At the same time, he has sought to distance himself from any potential blame if Republicans lose control of the House. Whatever the outcome, Trump made clear he knew he was on the line. “In a sense, I am on the
ticket,” he told a raucous crowd in Cleveland. He warned earlier on the telephone town hall to get out and vote because “the press is very much considering it a referendum on me and us as a movement.” Republicans are increasingly confident they will retain control of the Senate, but they face Democratic headwinds in the House. In an interview with The Associated Press last month, Trump said he would not accept blame for a GOP defeat at the polls. Trump has maintained a busy campaign schedule in the final stretch of the race, with 11 rallies over six days. In the closing days Trump has brought out special guests to join him on the campaign trail. Country singer Lee Greenwood performed Trump favorite “God Bless the USA” in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and was expected to appear Monday with the president in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Fox News personality Sean Hannity and conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh were also slated to be “special guests” at the final rally, according to Trump’s campaign, though Hannity insisted on Twitter he would only be “covering (the) final rally for my show”. At his rallies and on Twitter, Trump’s closing argument has largely focused on fear — warning, without evidence, that a Democratic takeover would throw the country into chaos, spurring an influx of illegal immigration and a wave of crime. As he departed Washington yesterday, he said Democrats’ “weak stand” on the issue “means nothing but crime”. Speaking to a rally crowd in Georgia over the weekend, Trump made ominous references to the “Antifa” far-leftleaning militant groups and a migrant caravan moving slowly toward the USMexico border that he has called an “invasion”. At his rallies, Trump frequently declares that 2018 is the election of “Kavanaugh and the caravan.” He has pushed forward with the rallies amid news events that would have halted previous leaders — holding a massive rally the same day a gunman massacred 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue.
FIREFIGHTERS work at the scene where a building collapsed in Marseille, southern France, yesterday. Photo: Claude Paris/AP
HUNT BEGINS FOR SURVIVORS AFTER BUILDINGS COLLAPSE MARSEILLE, France Associated Press TWO buildings collapsed into a pile of rubble and beams yesterday in the French city of Marseille, where authorities spoke of a race against time to find people possibly trapped in the ruins. The buildings — one condemned and supposedly vacant, the other containing apartments — gave way after 9am In the spot where they had stood, a large gap appeared once the dust and debris settled. Marseille fire services said two people who were in the street when the buildings collapsed were treated for light injuries. French President Emmanuel Macron said it was unknown if anyone was killed or trapped.
Fire officials deliberately brought down most of a third building due to concerns the unstable structure might cave on top of search crews and sniffer dogs combing the rubble of the other buildings. The late afternoon demolition released more dust clouds. Authorities said one building had been condemned as substandard and was assumed to be unoccupied, but the other was inhabited. The government’s housing minister, Julien Denormandie, said at the scene he couldn’t rule out that people were trapped in the collapse. “It’s a race against the clock,” Denormandie said. “The urgent task is to determine whether there are people we can save.” Thick dust covered cars around the site near
Marseille’s famous Old Port. Amateur video broadcast on BFM-TV featured bystanders covering their mouths with their sleeves to avoid the dusty air. Images of the buildings before they collapsed, visible on Google Street View , showed that one had five floors and the other six. One of the buildings was clearly in poor repair, with boarded-up windows and large visible cracks on the facade before it collapsed. Sabine Bernasconi, the local mayor for that part of Marseille, said one of the buildings was subject to an evacuation order, but could not say for sure that squatters were not using it. The regional prefecture urged people to avoid the area and make way for emergency services.
UN: EARTH’S OZONE LAYER ‘HEALING’ AT LAST WASHINGTON Associated Press
EARTH’S protective ozone layer is finally healing from damage caused by aerosol sprays and coolants, a new United Nations report said. The ozone layer had been thinning since the late 1970s. Scientists raised the alarm and ozone-depleting chemicals were phased out worldwide. As a result, the upper ozone layer above the Northern Hemisphere should be completely
repaired in the 2030s and the gaping Antarctic ozone hole should disappear in the 2060s, according to a scientific assessment released Monday at a conference in Quito, Ecuador. The Southern Hemisphere lags a bit and its ozone layer should be healed by mid-century. “It’s really good news,” said report co-chairman Paul Newman, chief Earth scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “If ozone-depleting substances had continued to increase, we would have seen huge effects. We stopped that.”
High in the atmosphere, ozone shields Earth from ultraviolet rays that cause skin cancer, crop damage and other problems. Use of man-made chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which release chlorine and bromine, began eating away at the ozone. In 1987, countries around the world agreed in the Montreal Protocol to phase out CFCs and businesses came up with replacements for spray cans and other uses. At its worst in the late 1990s, about 10 percent of the upper ozone layer was depleted.
IMAGES from NASA shows areas of low ozone above Antarctica on September 2000, left, and September 2018. The purple and blue colors are where there is the least ozone, and the yellows and reds are where there is more ozone.