Rick Lowe
One of the front page stories in yesterday's Nassau Guardian informs us that "A consensus that the Montagu Beach area should be preserved as a recreational area, and that conditions experienced by vendors at the site are unfair to the vendors…"
This of course is at the site where Bahamians buy seafood and fruit and vegetables from the fishermen and other vendors opposite the worlds largest outdoor toilet, the intersection of East Bay Street and the Village Road extension.
The real question is, how can people who squat on the land around the boat ramp feel they are being treated unfairly? Shouldn't it be the rest of us that are inconvenienced daily by this site be complaining?
Granted the powers that be have allowed this eye sore and traffic bottleneck to continue unabated for years, but what gives anyone the idea that they can use public land at their whim and when they might have to be held accountable, they object to doing the right thing?
To top it all off they'll probably end up with stalls et al built with taxpayer money and not have to pay rent for it.
Seems that wrong doers get away with whatever they choose these days.
Don't think you should pay your property tax? No problem. Let the balance mount up and then get a huge discount and pay no interest.
Don't want to pay the NIB taxes for you and your staff? So what. Let the balance mount up and then get a huge discount and pay no interest.
Don't think you should honour the Justice System? Who cares. Say what you want and get off scott free.
What have we become?
Rick I understand your concern – I remember as a little boy growing up – visiting the montague beach almost every weekend with my entire family ….. some of the greatest memories I have ….
And , yes I remember the vendors selling fresh fish and conch – fishermen , women and young adults, after fishing – whether by boat – pulled by the lates model truck or by a shabby pickup…. the boats varied as I remembered – beautifully painted to – again marine vessels worthy as a collection of the junk yard than regarded as sea worthy – as I recall – the latter fits my fathers’ boat, an ugly thing that beckon my mothers exhorted scorn and warnings toward my Dad!
The area is indeed one that is filled with similar memories for many …. but as great as the memories – what is present establishes a blur … I probably can advocate the banning of the current use – but I think the area can easily be transformed into something like a bayside in Miami or Milwaukie and Boston …..
Anything secondary to the latter entail total closure of such practices …… I hope logical, reasonable planning can be done for the area .
Points well taken.. lets hope reasonable planning will be the order of the day.. Lets turn memories into future dreams..
Montague?
You mean the former grandious hotel property?
Yes, It could be something more functional, save one problem.
Government.
They couldn’t plan their way out of a wet paperbag, let alone get out of it.
Checci report covered it by the way, in 1968.
And how many report since?
Here ! Here! Tradewinds!!
They don’t have the balls to move the ramp, just like they don’t have the balls to fight crime.
DP – what are your suggestions …..
we don’t want the boat ramp moved, only the illegal vendors.
Extend the dock portion to the east with fill from the harbor,move the vendors out there away from traffic.The entrance & exit would be at the light.Make the decision & just do it.Then make the vendors get permits & possibly pay some form of rent.The vendors who don’t like it can lump it.Or, just move the vendors all together.As it stands now, not to many people can use the ramp freely. I don’t understand what the problem is,get on with it.Why the delay, the longer it is left, the worse it will get.
I think thats a solution worth looking into and should cause a movement in the area – evidenced by a signed petition of constituents of the area ….
When will the common sense kick in , or is there any ?
Common sense will kick in when a new government other than the PLP & FNM is voted out.
RJD there is a ground-swell in the US for such an occurance in the establishment of a real third party … this is not easy in the Bahamas albeit… as the double tower of power, meaning FNM and PLP will covertly join forces to defeat such a movenment – if the latter sounds crazy – rest assured its a common practice in politics …….
Why is it that many of us tend to believe there is a political solution?
The answer is smaller government where politics plays a less significant role in our lives.
You can bring in four parties, their objective remains the same. To get elected.
To get elected you have to compromise your principles.
Once your principles are compromised, voila!
You’re back to square one.
Read our Constitution and you will see that personal responsibility is paramount.
Politicians, while many are well intentioned, do not really want us to be independent critical thinkers.
I think we need a third party to defeat the two tower of power, or the lack of opportunity will definetly cause a civil war literally and distroy the Bahamas completly.
On the Montaqu issue that is a good idea for a Bayside look alike
I do agree, the smaller the government , the better. Meanwhile, what can we do to get things done now ?
Hey DP:
Bearing in mind that politics got us into this mess, unless there is a sustained out cry and personal letters to each MP etc it might take another 25 years.
It’s taken about that long for it to develop into the mess it is.
In the scheme of things, it’s a minor issue.
Let me put it this way, I’ll be surprised, big time, if anything happens with this new initiative.
I helped Mr. Pierre Dupuch when he was an FNM MP try to bring some sanity there and still nothing happened.
Sorry.
Don’t forget the people that have stolen the land (squatted) want more land and infrastructure for free.
Yes, I know & it is outrageous .It seems like maybe the MP’s can’t read, or understand English !If it was anything to do with more taxes, they would have taken care of by now.
To be fair – the land they are on is Gov property – under the rules that govern the land – no matter how you dislike the enforcement thereof.
Thus its up the gov to regard them as SQUATTERS…. and for more than 30 years – these vendors have not been regarded as such….. So the correct term for these very small scale proprietors (providers of goods or services ….. thats for DP)is vendors … some of them are bread winners for their family and although it is displeasing …. remember that your displeasure cannot equal ones inability to survive ….. any other example in thought would be imperialistic at best ….
work with the MP for the area and provide solutions but dont characterize these people so negatively for practicing what they met in place and REPEATED ignored by officials ….
Dear Hanna:
Read the thread and you will see where I worked with the vendors and Mr. Pierre Dupuch to bring sensible changes to the fiasco that we call the Montagu Ramp.
If what they are doing is negative as we all agree, why do I have to be politically correct?
Compromise has us where we are.
If you do not have title to land, or a rental contract, where you live or operate a business, what are you if not a squatter?
As I said before, I will be pleasantly surprised if any order comes to that area.
Hanna, you make my point for me.The government owns the land, that is exactly why they could & should deal with it.It is a traffic hazard, anyone who can’t see that does not want to see it.Maybe every member of parliament should have to drive through it everyday for a while, just so they could “get it” . I do not want anyone to loose their income, God knows that, but I also do not want the road blocked everyday.Just move them back & do it soon.How long do we have to talk about it before some action is taken ?I have been hearing talk now for thirty years.How many committees does it take to get something done? These committees are just a way to buy time & drag things out, that has been proven,they get absolutely nothing done.Venders are supposed to have permits & pay some form of rent.This should be enforced.I also would be pleasantly surprised if anything comes to anything when it comes to enforcement in this country.