The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Could you print this as an open letter to Dr Duane Sands? Thank you, Bob Thompson

Dr Duane Sands,

Minister of Health.

Dear Sir,

I would like you to handle this complaint as an official report about an incident that has been taking place in a portion of your constituency for over nine years.

I know you are aware of it, because I have mentioned it to you over six years ago, when you were at my home soliciting my vote. Well, I voted for you because you promised you would fix the situation.

Well, sir, six years later and this gentleman still has several tractor heads, trailers and such in my residential zoned area. Not only is this man allowed to operate his trucking business in the residential zoned area, but he is allowing his trucks to leak oil and diesel fuel in the ground.

However, may I remind you that one of my reasons for voting for you was because I really thought you would get this thing done. I have C.O.P.D. (a lung disease) and find it almost impossible to breathe when he is running his trucks at five in the morning, every morning.

My wife and I have reported this to all the relevant agencies in the country since Mr Deveaux was Minister of Environmental Health and nothing happened. This problem was taken to court by The Department of Physical Planning who was laughed out of court by the prosecuting policeman who was seen laughing and talking at the table of the accused. Even the judge, I was told by Mr Major, stopped the case to go on vacation and would sign the order after her return from vacation, which never happened. He brought in more trucks to this lot where he built a triplex, which, to my knowledge he built without permission from Physical Planning. To this day, nothing has happened to stop these offences.

Dr Sands, I read about all the good things you are doing for the health of this country and I appreciate it, but you see I did not ask you for money or jobs for my family. I can do those on my own. What I want is for you to represent the things I cannot do for my family and myself.

My personal investment in this area called Kool Acres is a complete disaster. I cannot retrieve my personal investment for the land I bought to develop. As soon as I cut a road from Fox Hill road to the Haitian village to the west, put in two poles, a transformer when Town Planning gave another ex-policeman permission to build three triplexes as rentals, after warning me in writing that I was not permitted to do so as the area is zoned for residential only.

Dr Sands, for god's sake please help. You are the Minister of Health and one of the people that put you in this powerful position needs your help. This is serious.

BOB THOMPSON

Nassau,

March 18, 2019.