He no longer works for them, now he has a problem with them. Perhaps they should give him a retainer fee. that will shut him up right away.

The residents of GB should be all over this article. It's so true.

Wow.. Birdie you're not looking at the bigger picture. Regardless of his integrity; being fired or not, what he's saying here is living truth for residents of the island.

GBPA is a finished case ........... 60 years into the GBPA & Hawksbill Creek Agreement, the tank is empty. Jack Hayward, Edward St. George and their Bahamian minions have emptied the chest and now the pirates have fled with all of the booty ............. The only chance is to put the nail in the coffin buy out GBPA & Freeport .......... all 100,000 acres of it to the Chinese ........ they own half of it now. Then ask all Bahamians to vacate Freeport City and lease Freeport to the Chinese for at least $1 Billion a year for ten years, witha aright to renew the lease every ten years.

Leasing to the Chinese? Dog eat your lunch! lol

The Chinese are the only global investors willing to put money out right now ........ they want to get as close to the US market as possible .... we can spark a US-EU-China "highest bidder takes all" for the Freeport lease if there are any American or European investors up to the fight.

But right now Freeport is becoming a national liability

Here's a far fetched idea:The government of the Bahamas should buy GBPA and make Freeport the capital city of the Bahamas. Freeport is organized, it has all of the correct infrastructures and is designed like a modern city. Move all of the main government offices and public buildings there and the economy would automatically be energized. At least Bahamians would be proud to have a clean and systematic capital city. Meanwhile, clean up dirty Nassau and try to instil some pride in the many residents who live like rats in a sewer.

Not a bad idea...

Comrade Emac the perception that pops into minds of people is that Freeport is the capital of Grand Bahama. No, it is not. West End is the capital of Grand Bahama and why should they continue to be ignored under a reconfiguration of the way Freeport is to be operated?

I understand what you are saying Tal. I was really looking at infrastructure. Nassau with its million potholes and narrow streets was really designed with the horse 'n' carriage in mind.

I want Comrade Freddy get on tract, not with some regressive plan to seek new private owners which will ether be Chinese government financed or they will be well-connected to whichever government happens be in power. Even to have government buy the shares in Port is to deny Bahamalanders their right to move away from corporate or government ownership over Freeport. The Hawksbill Agreement is a disgrace not in need of a simple change of ownership but kiss it good damn riddance. A change private ownership will benefit lawyers fees and inside brokers commissions exceeding $100 million dollars and who in hell needs or wants that special interests enrichment. Cancel that son-of-a-bitch Port deal but not simply pass shares on to anyone, even Bahamalanders. A nation does not sell shares in her nation.

Thats a good idea........... but what do you mean by "buy back"? That will be an interesting conversation ....... look at Bahamar and the road cost.

I didn't say 'buy back'. I said buy or acquire. You are right about Bahamar and the road cost issues, but such a move should really be looked at as a long term investment. This government is already wasting millions of dollars with no returns. I believe Freeport has the capacity to facilitate a modern communication system, with the latest technological tools along with the space to attract investors and Bahamian entrepreneurs to invest in that with city with good faith. Nassau already has a bad rep. Freeport also has the space and existing clubs and pubs to attract visitors and Bahamians alike which would eventually bring back that dazzling nightlife that Nassau was once famous for.

http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2014…

While it is true the Port Authority private owners are comfortable and wealthy with no vision or need to do anything, this was not the intention of the H.C.A. for Wallace Groves or the Government.
The Government buying it is not the answer either as they're broke and couldn't run it anyway.
One look at Nassau confirms that.
What should be done is a buyout by the Licensees, who have watched things go from bad to worse and would probably do a far better job if politics could be kept out of it!
Middle management simply holding whatever position the owners want them to is pathetic.
Hutchinson could care less aside needing enough manpower to run the Container port.
Even then they'd get approval to import foreign workers, who would live in shipping containers outside the gates!
Government is using VAT rules to abrogate the H.C.A. and totally ignore prior court rulings which have helped to define it, which will further depress economic prospects and with impending expiry from tax exemptions in 2015 things do not look good.
Freeport is the perfect example of squandered potential, through the inactions of a select few, who themselves have done very very well at the expense of everyone else.

I couldn't agree more. In this key phrase "through the inactions of a select few, who themselves have done very very well at the expense of everyone else," highlights the growing economic disparity in this country. Our middle class is all but gone and there are only a select few who have carved out a hog portion of the economic pie. Government kickbacks and sweetheart deals are too common and the parasites contnue to suck.

Government acquiring Freeport is a terrible idea. All you have to do is look at the small enclaves that not part of Freeport to understand why. Smith Point and Williams Town are surrounded by Freeport and the minute you drive past the bonded signs announcing the end of Freeport's bonded area everything changes. The roads immediately become bad, the side of the roads are overgrown.The contrast between private ownership versus public ownership is telling. Its even worst when you drive into Eight Mile Rock.

The donkey brays again , now finally with some sense. I have no regard for Smith becuase I see him as an opporrunist and media h#@r, but he is right on this GBPA fiasco. Give credit where it is due and he deserves it in this instance.

Those with the power and wealth do not want change,
those who need change,
Have not the power nor capital to change anything.
Hat tip to Poverty Inc.

Perfect example is the Port President touting new investment, growth, confidence
whether he believes it or not, it is the company line he is instructed to push, andhis salary depends on it.
Every business he highlighted moved out of a given property into a new property.
No growth there.
The Port owners probably do believe everything is fine, marvelous job they're doing etc.
Life is good!

The Port owners are millionnaire foreigners. Their Bahamian minions are also enjoying the spoils, but the wider GB population is not. The Government must ensure that the wider population is enjoying a better standard of living.
The question to ask is: what would the GB have looked like without the GBPA? East End? West End? Eight Mile Rock? Freeport is not growing but the rest of GB is not either ............. thats the government's responsibility.

No Government can ensure a better standard of living for its population:
The Governments job is to maintain the structures of society which enable citizens to work, produce and provide for themselves.
They will always fail at the first,
history shows they have failed at the latter.
In the context of the G.B.P.A, the Statutory agreement which was to provide an environment for prosperity for the country and ALL involved has been hijacked by the few, both in and out of Government who have appropriated it as theirs to do with as they wish.
And they have done exactly that.

Any word from the GBPC or Emera and their regulators, The Port Authority on why the power bills are still astronomical in Grand Bahama?

Oil has plummeted 40%.

Good point .............. just look at the cost/price of fuel, gas, BEC after the world wide drop of price of crude oil......... NO CHANGE!!!!!!!!! Our government is robbing us blind.......... and the special interest groups (GBPA, FOCOL, unions) are holding the PLP government hostage. What are the citizens going to do????????? We need a social revolution NOW!!!!!!!!!

Isn't the fuel surcharge supposed to go away if the price of oil drops below a certain point?
$70bbl?
hmmm, betcha BEC and Emera hoping no one remembers that!

I would personally pay for Fred Smith to be returned to his home country (Haiti) if I knew there would be any chance of him staying there. My God, what must we do to free ourselves of this tootie fruity idiot?!!