concernedcitizen 10 years, 11 months ago on Cuban abuse claims - marines 'admit' beatings - read extracts and see images from the investigation
Cuban abuse claims - marines 'admit' beatings - read extracts and see images from the investigation
Says the "boy " that claims to have international clients that he regularly charges five hundred dollars an hour for consulting fees .
JohnDoe 10 years, 11 months ago on Cuban abuse claims - marines 'admit' beatings - read extracts and see images from the investigation
Cuban abuse claims - marines 'admit' beatings - read extracts and see images from the investigation
@TalRussell, the Nassau Guardian is carrying the very same story on its front page with even more sordid details, so its not just the Tribune. Always remember that, "truth crushed earth will always rise again". It appears that you and this government seem not to understand crisis management 101, which states that you should never stake out an initial position that is incompatible with your ability to build a golden bridge of compromise to new contradictory information. What is our move now? Do we double down further as the ship continues to sink? Where are the adults in our government. If we thought that this issue was just going to go away we are wrong. The PM needs to stand up and pivot this issue to contain the fall-out already inflicted and re-position us to move forward and restore some credibility. It is obvious that Fred Mitchell lacks the credibility to do so.
JohnDoe 10 years, 11 months ago on 'Defence Force officer raped Cuban detainee' claim at Miami press conference
'Defence Force officer raped Cuban detainee' claim at Miami press conference
@TalRussell, a question for you. Why would these groups discontinue their activities when our govenment continues to insist that nothing happened even in the face of what now appears to be incontrovertible evidence to the contrary from our own law enforcement agencies involved? Are these Cuban activists fully and solely to blame? Is the Tribune or Guardian fully and soley to blame? What is our culpability? The problem with projecting blame is that it often robs us of taking personal responsibility for our circumstances. The question we should be asking now is "What can or should we do to get in front of this issue". Sitting in the corner, sobbing, sulking, blaming and sucking our thumb just won't cut it.
JohnDoe 10 years, 11 months ago on 'Defence Force officer raped Cuban detainee' claim at Miami press conference
'Defence Force officer raped Cuban detainee' claim at Miami press conference
@TalRussell, you entirely miss my point. For me the question at hand is not one of who is right or wrong or tit for tat. It is my belief that with respect to this issue an "eye for an eye" would leave both of us blind. Maybe that works for them, but to my thinking this is not in our best interest because our objectives are incompatible to theirs. As activists it is their objective to agitate. Our objectives should be more expansive and should be more noble, even though we are currently not acting like it. We are a sovereign nation that should stand for something positive that makes each Bahamian proud to be a Bahamian. Just because the video may have been staged, should not give us the liberty to act the fool as well. We should be..... we must be bigger than that. In any event, independent direct evidence has now been put forth that makes the video irrelevant. Do we just ignore this new evidence and continue to talk about the video? That is the issue for me, what should we do now? Do we double down with our strategy about how the video was staged, ignoring all other evidence, or should we take steps to get in front of this issue?
JohnDoe 10 years, 10 months ago on Minister's pledge on Cuba probe
Minister's pledge on Cuba probe
On July 18th Fred Mitchell made these remarks, “I’m trying to organize Bahamians in Miami and at home,” he said. “If we don’t push back then people will start to believe that it is true. All Bahamians have to speak out against this.”
He also said, “People in our detention lock ups are treated humanely. If there are issues let us know and we will address them. The conditions are humane, they are not the best, but people are not beaten.” We now know that that at the time these statements were made, Mr. Mitchell was in possession of information from the Defence force itself that fully contradicted his statements. He intentionally lied. Six weeks later he now says "Justice will be done" after saying all along that the enemies of the Bahamas is making this stuff up. This is not a PLP or an FNM thing, this is just pure hubris, attempts at deceit, cover-up and incompetence. This should have been dealt with two months ago.
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JohnDoe 10 years, 10 months ago on Minister announces 'imminent' proceedings
Minister announces 'imminent' proceedings
Speak for yourself, for it is only an idiot that would consciously close their minds and heart to truth and decency for the sake of following patently petty and small minded politicians. Your argument, it would seem to me, is more appropriately directed at you because it would appear that even if God were to declare that beating and abusing other human beings is unacceptable you and others would question His authority and continue to ask for more evidence. What more evidence is needed that something against standard protocol occurred than the National Security Minister stating that proceedings against the implicated officers are imminent.
JohnDoe 10 years, 9 months ago on Abaco anger over fishing lodge work
Abaco anger over fishing lodge work
They are not checking for the people that the area affects because the entire process of investment and government approvals is a black box with no visibility or transparency. Of course the secrecy is necessary to ensure that these cabinet ministers and their friends are rich men when their term is up. We talk about reparations for slavery but we don't need to go back that far. We can start by having an audit done on all politicians who have served in the past 25 years and I can guarantee we will recoup a king's ransom that have been diverted or stolen from the Bahamain people. Not to pick on Mr. Rolle but since this story involves him, we can start with him even though he has been in power less than two years.
JohnDoe 10 years, 8 months ago on 'PLP has served needs of Nygard'
'PLP has served needs of Nygard'
@Rory and @SP, if the average Bahamian cannot discern any qualitative differences between Kerzner and Nygard, as you two seem to suggest, then I am afraid we will all be doomed as a people.
JohnDoe 10 years, 8 months ago on 'PLP has served needs of Nygard'
'PLP has served needs of Nygard'
It is funny how you have totally contradicted yourself in answering @Banker. In your earlier post you indicated that Kerzner was making truck loads of money, however, in response to Banker you state that the "Paradise Island “cash cow” was mortally wounded" as you claim. So what is it, was he making truck loads of money or was the PI cash cow mortally wounded. FYI, as a basic economic postulate, returns or profits are not guaranteed merely by making an investment as you seem to suggest with Kerzner. Further, all above average returns or profits are almost always accompanied by above average investment risk, as has played out with Kerzner. Therefore, to try to paint a picture that Kerzner just made an equity investment and investment returns were guaranteed to follow is silly. Many Hoteliers have come to this country, invested millions and left without the shirt on their backs. Kerzner took a risk on the Bahamas when he invested over a billion dollars in our economy without any guarantee of returns or profits, as you yourself have pointed out above. Therefore, stop making stuff up to the extent of even contradicting yourself. Again I ask, how much has Nygard invested beacause that is what we are talking about. According to the PM and AG Nygard has intentional lied by falsely claiming that he wrote our stem cell legislation which can cause reputational damage to the Bahamas. What do you have to say about that?
JohnDoe 10 years, 8 months ago on DNA dismisses PM's VAT comments as 'nonsense'
DNA dismisses PM's VAT comments as 'nonsense'
I agree with you and that is why, in my view, he has much work to do before he becomes fit for the office that he covets. In fact the reason why the government has handled the VAT issue so poorly is that when the IMF was peddling its nonsense no one in our government had the wherewithal to put critical questions to them to gain a full understanding of its ramifications. We simply took the IMF's nonsense hook, line and sinker and when the public began to ask critical questions the PM turned around like a little child and cried to the IMF for help to answer the questions as if we have ceded our sovereignty to the IMF.
JohnDoe 10 years, 8 months ago on DNA dismisses PM's VAT comments as 'nonsense'
DNA dismisses PM's VAT comments as 'nonsense'
Bran is a nice enough guy but he is no different from all of the other politicians we currently have on the scene in that they all want to wear the crown without bearing the cross. Has anyone actually read Bran's (DNA) recommendations to save $300 million dollars? The first is to "Reduce the Central Bank interest rate to one per cent". Wow! I don't know exactly what that means but I do know that the only interest rate that the Central Bank controls is the Discount (Bank) rate which is the interest rate at which it lends to banks. This rate has nothing to do with the costs of borrowing for the government, corporations or individuals. The reduction of the discount rate is primarily a monetary policy tool to provide liquidity to the financial system. In fact the Commercial banks are under no obligation to adjust their prime rate just because the Central Bank adjusts the discount rate. Further, how introducing a National Procurement Agency would prevent fraud, waste and corruption to the tune of $200 million annually is almost comical. The one point that he and I are in agreement on is that this government is on pace to be our worst government ever if they don’t get their act together very soon.
JohnDoe 10 years, 8 months ago on 'Bahamians don't understand VAT'
'Bahamians don't understand VAT'
"Bahamians do not understand VAT" so says the deer in the headlight, as if anyone in our government understood the full ramifications of VAT when they were being lectured by the IMF. Halkitis and our government has once again misread the tea leaves. The issue is not that Bahamians do not understand VAT and this is evident by the critical and brilliant questions the Bahamian public has raised concerning VAT, most of which the government has yet to deliver a coherent, rational or intelligent response to. It is interesting to note that for the majority of VAT implementations that have failed the primary causes have been poor preparation, lack of consultation, poor education and hurried implementation. Classically, the politicians appear to now be deflecting blaming to the public for their lack of understanding, preparation and consultation. The real issue is that no one in government has even tried to intelligently explain to the Bahamian people the following: Why do we need to embark on an austerity program, during these hard times, to increase tax revenue and reduce expenditure; Why VAT, amongst all of the other options, is the optimal fiscal policy tool for our economy to accomplish this; Why the VAT rate must initially be so high at 15%; Why not an introductory lower rate; How will VAT impact other taxes already on the books and What are the short, medium and long term ramifications, positive and negative, for our economy in general and in particular for the businesses impacted and consumers. The reality is that our issues, similar to the issues of most countries in this region go way beyond ballooning debt and deficits. We are faced with two other equalling vexing issues of low to no economic growth and high structural unemployment where there are just not enough jobs in our economy for those who want to work. This is exacerbated by our business model that depends on exogenous drivers of economic growth including FDI and tourism. Introducing VAT will also likely be unhelpful to the latter two vexing issues.
JohnDoe 10 years, 8 months ago on Talks begin today to end BEC union dispute
Talks begin today to end BEC union dispute
It seem as if we all continue to miss the point here. As distasteful as the actions of the union have been, the actions of our politicians and political institutions have been even more distasteful. Not only did they enabled and bred the setting and environment that allowed these unions to become so emboldened, they also literally signed these contracts giving the union these benefits. When the PLP was in opposition I remember going to the Bahamas Customs building and watching PLP MPs in the yard advising Custom Officers to strike and work to rule to make the then government look bad while it took me and other Bahamians over a week to be able to pay Customs and have our imported goods released. I have no doubt the FNM behaved the same way. This benefits issue is but a symptom of our larger socio-political issue where our political leaders view themselves as our privileged and entitled Patriarchs who conduct our affairs in a black-box fully non-transparent manner and act in a totally self-serving manner, behaving as if we, the Bahamian people, do not have a right to question them. We may change these BEC benefits but, trust me, tomorrow they would be right back at it working in their black-box giving someone or some other group benefits that serve their personal or political interest and not the interest of the Bahamian people.
JohnDoe 10 years, 8 months ago on Miller: I'll fire union leader if strike action is taken
Miller: I'll fire union leader if strike action is taken
If doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity, then expecting people whom we reward for misbehaving to change that behavior is more than a little naive. This can be applied to Miller and Green. Today we praise Miller for the manner in which he confronts the unions, but behold, tomorrow it may be you, your spouse, your daughter or son that he confronts in a similar manner. The fact is the union's position, though distasteful, is not an illegal one and is widespread throughout the civil service. They did not grant these benefits to themselves. We should be mindful of the words of John Donne, who wrote "No man is an island, entire of itself.....therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee". Projecting our anger only at the unions, would seem to me, to be a little short sighted. If we are really serious, we should be demanding an accounting of all persons and consultants who are currently receiving full salaries and benefits from government who are also receiving full pensions. This dollar amount would make the amounts in question here look like chump change.
JohnDoe 10 years, 8 months ago on Four charged with Kurt killing, one with being accessory
Four charged with Kurt killing, one with being accessory
The murder of Kurt appeared to be a personal and savage act and therefore, society would certainly be better off if the perpetrators were removed from amongst us. For this reason I am praying that the police would have done solid groundwork and dotted every i and crossed every t before bringing them to court. Also, without pre-judging the evidence, I am also praying that we have more of a motive than the armed robbery of a Hummer, because given the nature of this murder, the prosecutor would need all of our prayers and more trying to prove in court that four persons would committ this murder to try to steal a Hummer in Nassau, Bahamas with an accessory after the fact.
JohnDoe 10 years, 8 months ago on Government approves BEC double dipping
Government approves BEC double dipping
This is an excellent point Rory. From a personnel and compensation perspective the real issue with BEC, and in fact most of the civil service, is that they need to be introduced to the 21st century with respect to their HR practices. Most of these government corporations and ministries, some of which have been in existence for over half a century, either have no or totally inadequate performance appraisal and evaluation systems. As a result the top performers are treated no differently or in some cases are treated worse than the poor performers. There is no clear demarcation between skilled and unskilled workers. Advancement is based on who you sweethearting, which political party you support or who is your family. Because compensation is not based on performance then the government have to throw in all kind of irrational perks to level the playing field and there are no disincentives for negative behavior.
JohnDoe 10 years, 7 months ago on Operation Potcake cancelled after local vet opposition
Operation Potcake cancelled after local vet opposition
@PBizzell and others, I have read your posts and unfortunately there is nothing contained therein deserving of an apology. I don't condone personaI attacks and I am certain that local vets are as qualified and dedicated as vets anywhere in the world, however, your rationale and logic on this matter is far from obvious. My understanding is that Operation Potcake is a charitable undertaking whereby all expenses for labor and materials are either freely volunteered or covered by donations. I also understand the proposal of the local vets, and correct me if I am wrong, to be that local vets would freely volunteer their time and would request reimbursement of $50 for materials used. My question to you is who do you expect to pay this $50. The reason they are called stray dogs is because they are not readily attached to an owner or an owner that gives a damn. Therefore, it would seem to me that at a charge of $50 the only persons you are likely to attract are persons who are already your customers or potential customers. In either event it does nothing to substantively address the stray dog epidemic. Further, assuming that we all can agree that we do have a stray dog epidemic in the Bahamas, why can't the local vets perform their initiative in conjunction with Operation Potcake if the local vets are truly sincere about addressing the stray dog epidemic and not motivated by greed. Operation Potcake can perform their services with costs borne by donations and the local vets can perform their services charging their $50. Why are the local vets taking the position that these initiatives must be mutually exclusive if their only interest is addressing the stray dog epidemic? Do you think the dogs or cats have a preference whether the surgery is done by local vets or Operation Potcake? This problem did not magically appear overnight and I am afraid the business as usual approach that the local vets appear to be adopting will do little to make this problem disappear.
JohnDoe 10 years, 7 months ago on Operation Potcake cancelled after local vet opposition
Operation Potcake cancelled after local vet opposition
Below, and correct me if I am wrong, is what I understand to be a purported excerpt from your letter to Operation Potcake, "going into the next few weeks, knowing that a considerable amount of planning has already gone into OP 2014, we would respectfully like to present to your planning committee an alternative to the current construction of this exercise. Firstly, we politely decline the offer to have the additional veterinarians come in to assist in surgeries, inclusive of the cat clinic at the BHS. We apologize for any inconvenience that it may cause any person, as advanced notice is preferred under such circumstances. We do feel as though we are capable of carrying out a considerable number of surgeries, and would like to make a concerted effort to accomplish a realistic goal all on our own". An objective reader can judge whether you are simply voicing a concern or telling them their help is no longer needed. What I gather people don't understand and maybe you can help us is that assuming we all can agree that we have a stray dog/cat epidemic in our country, why are the local vets taking the position that their services and the services of Operation Potcake must be mutually exclusive when both are striving to accomplish the same objectives
C_MonMan 10 years, 7 months ago on Stray dog warning after Operation Potcake cancelled
Stray dog warning after Operation Potcake cancelled
Well then maybe you should read the letter sent by the local vets to OP because your ex-poste reasoning appear to be inherently inconsistent and inconsistent with what other local vets have already written. In fact, it is amazing how in a mere 24 hours you have gone from not knowing how the local vets made their decision and I quote "This is one investment the Vets assoc. have said they can handle and you want to begrudge them the decision? I don't know how they came to this decision but I know it wasn't: we're so dumb, we can't do anything, money money, death to all foreigners!" to having intimate knowledge of the negotiations as you stated above "The Vets Assoc asked for cash for their involvement to sustain their charitable operation (which includes other essential services) an additional 50 weeks of the year and the Foreign Vets wanted the Bah vets as volunteers in their larger programme". Further, we have heard from local vets themselves who have indicated that the $50 was for re-imbursement for supplies so just who is correct you or the local vets.
TalRussell 11 years, 3 months ago on UPDATES: Chief justice lifts injuction protecting web shops
UPDATES: Chief justice lifts injuction protecting web shops
The numbers "bosses" high-priced lawyers should now have no doubt, that unlike the PLP cabinet, Comrade Chief Justice Sir Michael was ready give their numbers rackets clients an early Tuesday morning wake-up headache. They have tested the learned CJ and now got's their answer, that this is one judge who is prepared to discharge his judicial responsibilities, to restore the peoples votes.
What a wonderful day for Bahamaland when the Comrade CJ demonstrates that his high court can deliver rulings and do it in a swift manner, with integrity and impartiality.
Now, we will watch to see if the Attorney General and the Commish will likewise honour the votes of the people, and be as swift as they were with dispatching the policeman's to arrest and charge Comrade Rodney?
Shouldn't be hard to find them numbers shops, being there is one them operations located right across from the Supreme Court?
Let them spend all the legal fees millions they want, appealing all way up to the Privy Council, but with all their damn numbers selling rackets doors ... padlocked.
A great day when the bells of justice are loudly ringing across our Bahamaland.
Amen?
http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2013…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQPICmCY…