Oswald T. Brown
OVER-THE-HILL REVITALIZATION SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A POLITICAL FOOTBALL
WASHINGTON, D.C.– Wrapping up the debate on the Economic Empowerment Zones Bill, 2018, in the House of Assembly on Thursday, Prime Minister the Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis made a profound statement that surely should not be dismissed by members of the Opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) as an assertion that will not resonate among impoverished areas of New Providence, particularly Over-the-Hill.
In responding to criticism from PLP members during their contribution earlier in the week to the debate on the bill, according to an article in the Nassau Guardian, the Prime Minister said he went home “Wednesday night wondering why so many of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) MPs were angry with the FNM.”
“When I went home last night, I was thinking about why some of the members opposite were so angry and disingenuous about the FNM’s record in empowering and lifting up the poor,” the Prime Minister was quoted as saying. “It is very disturbing. They were angry and disingenuous because of our superior record. They are angry because they are on the defense. Many people in the PLP who like to boast of their progressive credentials are paper progressives, people who talk the progressive talk and who do not walk the progressive walk.”
Then he made this attention-arresting declaration: “The PLP are very, very worried about our Over-the-Hill revitalization program. I think they are politically scared that residents of the Over-the-Hill will see the stark difference between the PLP neglect and the hope and opportunity being ushered in by the FNM.”
There is no question that even dyed-in-the-wool PLPs will agree that if noticeable gentrification occurs Over-the-Hill as a result of the FNM’s revitalization program before the next general election, in all likelihood the FNM will easily win a second consecutive term as the Government of The Bahamas. More than any other area of New Providence, and indeed the entire Bahamas – with the exception of Andros, which has voted overwhelming for the PLP since 1956 — Over-the-Hill has been the bulwark of the PLP’s political power from its establishment as the first political party in The Bahamas in 1953.
The fact that there has been virtually no sustained government-sponsored initiative to improve the standard of living of residents of Over-the-Hill by successive PLP and FNM governments since the historic January 10, 1967 general election that ushered in the first black-controlled government would make it all the more a monumental accomplishment by the FNM, led by Dr. Minnis, if it succeeds in drastically improving living conditions Over-the-Hill and making it once again a safe area for tourists to visit in search of exciting entertainment, as was the case prior to 1967.
I grew up Over-the-Hill through Paul Meeres Corner, now called Fleming Street, and when my family moved permanently from Stanyard Creek, Andros, in the early 1950s, Chez Paul Meeres, a very popular entertainment complex, was on the corner of Fleming Street and Market Street. Every night it was jam-packed with tourists, mainly because its owner, Paul Meeres, was an acclaimed dancer who became internationally famous throughout Europe in the 1940s.
Several years later, on the other side of the corner of Fleming Street and Market Street, Peanuts Taylor — the renowned Bahamian entertainer, who achieved his fame as a sensational bongo drummer – built The Drumbeat Club, which likewise was jam-packed nightly with tourists. What’s more, there were at least five or six other night clubs, including the world-famous Cat and Fiddle, that were either Over-the-Hill — or on the periphery of what was considered to the Over-the-Hill area — that were also very popular among tourists.
All this changed, of course, after the 1967 general election, and the jury is still out on the reason why Over-the-Hill is now one of the most dangerous areas in New Providence to visit as well as to live because of the high level of crime in the area. The political establishment – both the PLP and the FNM — share the blame for allowing crime to progressively get worse during their tenures as the Government of The Bahamas since 1967, and it is at a level now where drastic measures have to be taken to reverse that trend.
This being the case, in tandem with the collection of tax incentives and other benefits being offered by the Economic Empowerment Zones Bill, 2018, which was passed in the House on Thursday, seeking to gentrify the Over-the-Hill area, a battery of crime-fighting initiatives should also be introduced aimed at establishing Crime Free Zones Over-the-Hill. By whatever means necessary – even if it means temporarily curtailing certain liberties that are the cornerstones of democracy – rampant crime Over-the-Hill must be forcefully dealt with.
This was among the measures Jamaica took earlier this year when it imposed a State of Emergency in response to rising crime in the Montego Bay area, which is very popular among tourists, and last week Prime Minister Andrew Holness was able to announce that crime in that area has declined considerably.
What’s more, this should not be a political issue. Both sides of the political divide should want to see the Over-the-Hill revitalization initiative succeed. What’s at stake is far too important to use its success or failure as fodder for the next general election campaign. Those who have this in mind as their goal should put the welfare of the of the country before their personal ambitions and look for another political football to toss around during the campaign for the next general election.
