By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Staff Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
JONES Communications CEO Wendall Jones yesterday defended his company against “mean-spirited” reports on its outstanding electricity bills.
Mr Jones said the leak that his media organisation owed more than $100,000 to the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) was “unethical”, adding that he had a legitimate payment plan to settle arrears.
He accusedThe Nassau Guardian of linking his company with the ongoing dispute between BEC chairman Leslie Miller and the corporation’s union.
In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, Mr Jones said: “We have an arrangement with BEC, and Leslie Miller obviously knows of the arrangement and I suspect that the only thing Leslie Miller told them was to honour the arrangement. I don’t have anything else to say beyond that.
“I don’t think it’s a story and I don’t think it’s anybody’s business because there are thousands of people in this country who have arrangements with BEC. There are personal arrangements, there are corporations with arrangements, there are hotels with arrangements.”
Mr Jones added: “The public would know that we’ve been in business for 20 something years. We are established and this company owes money, and will continue to owe money, that’s the nature of business.”
According to a BEC report published in The Nassau Guardian, attempts to disconnect Jones Communications’ power supply were circumvented by Mr Miller, who was said to have cursed at an employee for a prior disconnection.
The report is the latest in a series of leaks on outstanding accounts at the corporation.
Mr Jones said: “I think it is unprofessional journalism, I think it’s unethical, I think it is bad journalism because I’m sure The Guardian owes some money. Because of our popularity in the community it seems as though it is a story. But to me, if I owe BEC and I have an arrangement to pay BEC, how is that a story?”
Mr Jones questioned the frequency of high-profile leaks despite regulations under the Data Protection Act; however, he said he would not be seeking legal recourse.
He added: “I don’t know why people would want to pick on Jones Communications. Leslie Miller has issues with the unions over there and why am I being pulled into that?”
Last night, Mr Miller said the revelations represent an attempt to deflect from the progress made by the corporation on reducing electricity costs.
Refusing to comment on Mr Jones’ bill, Mr Miller added that the media was on a “witch hunt”.
Mr Miller said: “It’s not fair. It’s against the law. This has got to stop, in the past two years we have saved $8m - where do you think that comes from? It comes from payroll, so all this is trying to deflect from the real issue that this organisation is making major changes to bring the cost of electricity down.”
Comments
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 9 months ago
I agree with Mr Jones on one aspect of this story. He is a private citizen and as such his information should be kept private. However what I do not understand is why is this agreement that he knows about and the Chairman knows about, not known to Credit and Collections? Or was the agreement entered into after the disconnection?
It appears that an out of focus microscope is being used to examine the operations at BEC, "savings are from payroll". Rich customers, including the government, are allowed electricity for free. The government CANNOT SELECTIVELY SUBSIDIZE private for-profit businesses. These businesses should have a time limit to bring their operations current or should lose service. Anything else and the government is implicitly engaging in unfair trade practices, giving these delinquent businesses an advantage over their competition. It leads me to wonder how much more saving gains and revenues would be possible if company procedures and ethical practices were followed across the board. For example are contracts awarded in good faith, or are they doled out to known associates at over inflated prices for substandard services or equipment? It strains belief that a properly run electrical company would operate at a loss.
Revolutionary 9 years, 9 months ago
Bahamians, Our country is sick with corruption. The blame climbs up the ladder from person to minister to prime minister, but to find the true culprit, you need only look in a mirror. We know what is happening, yet we do nothing. Some feel they are alone, they have none to face this government with them. Most are scared - scared that if they raise their voice, they will be detained; political power will be exerted on them. If you are fine with what you see around you, what you see happening to this country, stay home the 26th. But, if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, I ask that you join us on July 26th outside of Parliament for a call for action, for accountability and for justice.
Stapedius 9 years, 9 months ago
Agree with your point on subsidies being provided to businesses. But you must admit our country has so many contradictions and unfair practices its unbelievable. For example, it could be argued that private media houses like Jones, The Tribune and Guardian should be exempt from certain broadcasting taxes. Reason being, ZNS which receives public funds to operate is still allowed to compete with private operators who have significant operating costs. My issue with our country is that we scrutinize things always with a politicl microscope rather than using a microscope of fairness and common sense. Why is Jones being targeted should be the story from these media houses when ZNS who we all pay for gives horrible service and has excessive waste? The fact is, all these media houses should refuse to pay the government a dime in taxes until ZNS stops solicitng for ads. Its ridiculous that these businesses are being asked to subsidize a competitor. ZNS is to heavy laiden with staff. Small staff, more technology. Cut, cut, cut. By now ZNS should have been a lean, mean broadcasting machine. Instead its lagged behind the times. Always three steps behind technology and a management structure from the stone age.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 9 months ago
Great point.
ChaosObserver 9 years, 9 months ago
So true! the ZNS stations would not even pass as a high school network in any other developed country. I've seen better work done by 6 year olds.....and the exempt status is a slap in the face of all other businesses....anytime you have a company supported by public funds you HAVE to expect better service/products! But then again, this is the bahamas, and thus expectations are always 'below the bar'.....
jackbnimble 9 years, 9 months ago
No surprise here. Doesn't he "owe" NIB as well? He has a serious track record for not paying bills.
Purcell 9 years, 9 months ago
He stopped being a customer a LONG time ago when he refused to pay his bill and became an electricity THIEF. Hence rules of confidentiality do not apply.
Purcell 9 years, 9 months ago
Well he did not dispute the fact only was bitchin' because it came to light.
proudloudandfnm 9 years, 9 months ago
Man someone tell this dude to close his doors. Can't pay his NIB bill and can't pay his electricity bill. Time to close down my boy. You have failed...
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 9 months ago
What do you expect when it comes to Jones?! He's just a dummy frontman for Franky Wilson aka Snake. Snake is the real owner and the true PLP voice behind the media business that Jones started and could not operate profitably for himself.....AND WE ALL KNOW ABOUT SNAKE'S PENCHANT FOR UNETHICAL DEAL MAKING OF ANY KIND THAT ADDS MORE TO HIS GREEDY POCKETS! You can almost hear Snake on the phone to Miller saying: "Com' on Leslie, cut our brudder Jones some slack man.....ya know he's a good brudda an' serves as an important voice fa da PLP on TV an' in print....ya gatta treat 'em right man!"
DonAnthony 9 years, 9 months ago
Why should this information be confidential? We need an official " name and shame " program for all public corporations. It seems the only way bills get paid in this country. I pay my bill monthly, always in full, so I am subsidizing this deadbeat through higher rates than otherwise would be necessary if accounts receivable were not so high. Mr. jones loses all right to privacy when I am asked to subsidize his bills. This secrecy leads to abuse and corruption that is destroying the middle class in this country.
sheeprunner12 9 years, 9 months ago
Jones should be locked up for tiefin ..................... years ago. Another Pingdomite crook
asiseeit 9 years, 9 months ago
This is just one more example of a political Elite getting the royal treatment while the rest of us get royally screwed. One day The people of this Crooked ass country will wake up, hopefully it is not to late when they do.
ohdrap4 9 years, 9 months ago
Another plp freeloader. on his talk show he goes on and on about why we should pay vat, and argues that bahamians pay sales tax in miami, so why not.
but buyers in miamai, bahamian or not, do not pay 45% tariffs
birdiestrachan 9 years, 9 months ago
For sure it is Mean spirited, He is not the only one who owes BEC. and Lady Pindling nor Mr/ Lightbourne were not the only ones who owed property taxes. Why were they targeted ? It is a Witch Hunt and we all know who the Witch is.
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 9 months ago
Watch out! Dat Witch you talkin' bout gat da backin' of her good friend da Greek Warlock.
asiseeit 9 years, 9 months ago
Birdie, would you agree that two wrongs do not make a right? Stop trying to defend what is wrong and work to make this country better. Your defense of everything PLP no matter what makes you look silly and very unpatriotic. Call a spade a spade no matter what party they are in and this country might stand a chance, or are you bought and paid for yourself?
asiseeit 9 years, 9 months ago
Any person who says that they will let wrongdoing slide just because it is a person from "their political party" is a traitor to the nation! The ones out there claiming to be born and will die by a political party are the main problem with this country. I am a Bahamian first and foremost, I will vote for who I think is BEST for my country. Sadly none of them out there right now seem to have what is best for the country at heart, they are for them and theirs, which is going to lead to a major upheaval sooner or later.
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 9 months ago
Remember: Commentator "generalcrazy" is none other than Freddy Boy Mitchell who likes to stir the pot to see what rises to the top.
proudloudandfnm 9 years, 9 months ago
I say name and shame them all! Could care less what party they're affiliated with. Name em and shame em all!!!
proudloudandfnm 9 years, 9 months ago
And let us not forget. Shane threatened to expose all of them a few weeks back. What happened? He can't find anything hey? Things that maker you go hmmmm...
With the past two years of nothing but bad press against the PLP I guarantee you if they had anything on anybody they would have exposed it by now....
BOL!!!!
Regardless 9 years, 9 months ago
Snake will bail him out when the time comes......again!
proudloudandfnm 9 years, 9 months ago
Best thing I've read on this is the simplest thing said on this.
Jones needs to shut up and pay his damn bills.....
GrassRoot 9 years, 9 months ago
I bet 106,000 in cash. watch this space.
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 9 months ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
birdiestrachan 9 years, 9 months ago
True two wrongs do not make right. But one has to be fair and not bias. What is right for one is right for all. Mr. Jones should know who the Witch is , She use to work for him all she needs is a tall black hat and a broom. As for me being paid. Just plain nonsense. Why should any individual in the Bahamas bills make the front page, the woman is just mean spirited and bitter. She has a list of all who owes BEC and who owes property taxes. publish all and not some ..
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 9 months ago
No birdie, an individual cannot of their own accord decide to publish private information regarding a private citizen. If the corporation on the other hand, decides that they will take a hard line to recover money from delinquent customers, they would probably be in their right to print a list of names and ask those persons listed to contact Credit and Collections by a certain date.
I agree with the above though, this government and yourself appear to be excuse parrots. Any wrong doing by someone in your party is excused with "but look, they doing it too". The old people say, if you know better do better. Do you know better?
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 9 months ago
The old people say, If you know better do better and the Young add, but don't be stupid. No I ain't sitting on a light at any dark AM if I'm the only car around. Since I've never been an "everyone else does it" kinda person, I say remember that guy who got mugged by Parkgate? and the one who got shot at while waiting at Montague light?
As I'm speaking to publishing private info on private citizens and not traffic light stops, and your life is never in danger when you decide to leave someone's private "legal" information private, "if you know better do better"...
asiseeit 9 years, 9 months ago
Most Bahamians would love to see who owes what, myself included. Bring it on, please for the sake of the Nation, lets see who is above board and who is riding the honest man's coat tail's. As Birdie say's fair is fair and I agree, expose the lot. The sad part is, this will never happen until we get Freedom of Information and the dirty politician's will drag that out as long as they can. What a nasty, crooked, vile place to live!
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 9 months ago
Mitchell you are such a demented soul. Allowing oneself to owe or borrow money with no intention of ever repaying the debt is theft by every common law definition!
asiseeit 9 years, 9 months ago
The crooked part is the fact that he is protected by the minister himself. If it was you or me they would have shut our current off, Why is his current on when it should be off? The only reason he has current isa because he is being protected by a crooked politician, of which we seem to have no end of. So yes, general, crooked works in this instance as it does with most things any politician seems to do in this cesspool of a country. The leaders of this country have no morals, ethics, or soul, they are slaves to the whims of money and power.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 9 months ago
A. That would really be really weird for Credit and Collections not to know that such a well known figure had a payment arrangement B. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say if they cut him off, he wasn't honouring any possible arrangement, another limb, for several months.
Taking into account Mr Miller's early interference for his daughter under similar circumstances, I'd guess the arrangement was entered into after the disconnection. But I could be wrong
CANDACESCOTT 9 years, 9 months ago
generalcrazy...you are an apologist for all things PLP or plp associated. yes everyone owes because we recieved services in advance however there are those who believe they are not obligated likes other to pay for those advance services on a monthly basic, unless there is other arrangements. and if there are other arrangement there are only extended to a certain group...the poor and low middle clase is not included.
TalRussell 9 years, 9 months ago
I challenge just one single business customer to show the Tribune where they are delinquent with their Cable Bahamas bill for months, much less over many years having gone unpaid and they are still getting a picture on they TV's? Can they not pay the gas company for years and expect to keep they stoves pilot lights burning? Comrades ever so simple for BEC to save all business owners from finding themselves at the top of the most telling and embarrassing news headlines of the day. If you own a business we will presume you will have established a checking account at your bank. Upon becoming a BEC customer you wil be required give BEC per-authorization to debit your business's checking account for (3) months in advance of the estimated electricity charges over a (3) months time period. If your per-authorization "bounces" for insufficient funds/ or a stop payment is placed, within 21 days of non-payment your damn lights will be automatically cut-off - no panicky, quick telephone calls with BEC's Chairman or any other politician will turn back on your lights.
B_I_D___ 9 years, 9 months ago
We burn through 20K a month in BEC and let me tell you, they call us the very first day we are late asking where our check is and threatening a disconnect...almost 10K in BTC a month and back when they could not get their bills in the mail or through the post they would cut us off the very first day we are overdue, even though we had not received the current bill yet. As fast as we get bills, they are paid in full...NIB...call us BEFORE the due date to remind us...it is VERY selective as to who they decide they want to keep under the gun and which of their croonies they just gonna let slide.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 9 months ago
That's what you call a facade, typical of the Bahamas unfortunately.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 9 months ago
All valid points in the general case, but it doesn't look as if he was honouring any arrangement. It would be weird for the department responsible for disconnections not to be informed for such a high profile figure
sheeprunner12 9 years, 9 months ago
I agree with you BID. The two lists should be published ............ those who have to pay and those who dont. Its time for true transparency ............... let the chips fall where they may.
SP 9 years, 9 months ago
Blah blah blah blah....Nothing gained!
Google "stop the haitian invasion of the bahamas" and sign the petition to empower government to deal with the illegal haitian migration dilemma.
TalRussell 9 years, 9 months ago
Even the late PM Pindling after losing the General Elections said; "he had totally underestimated the anger the voters had built up for his PLP government." Sadly but true, no Comrade single mother on welfare or a father who has been out of paychecks for months and months, pleas for the government to help them with a few hundred bucks to ride them over, will ever sound as heartfelt as the pleas from corporate CEO’s, begging for taxpayers assistance, tax-breaks, concessions, subsidiaries or debt forgiveness to ride their corporations over. The real classification should called for what it really is - taxpayers funded welfare). Comrades it get's even more unbelievable when we hear of foreigners who despite long ago qualifying to become a citizen of Bahamalander but never do, but it still it hasn't stop them from growing the foreigner bullocks to send them begging before Her Majesty The Queen, for a grant (charitable donation) of millions of dollars in acreage, all Crown Lands, supposedly to be held in government trust on behalf of all the poor peoples. The government won't even give a small corner store or restaurant owner a helping hand up but will to the already rich and foreigners with a good story to tell.
Regardless 9 years, 9 months ago
Does Jones Communications allow its customers to run up massive payables to them?
CANDACESCOTT 9 years, 9 months ago
Absolutely not...Jones appears to have a sense of entitlement. These men are just crooked!
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