Any Targets Left? It is time to 
do an evaluation of this Blog. This is an unsettling time for the Blog. Are we going forward or backwards? It may pay dividends to strategise if we are to go forward. So, some thoughts on the purpose and value of the Blog follow in this and the next two posts.
We have dealt with a multiplicity of topics over the past several months. There is no need to itemize those issues that have been dealt with in past posts. They are all listed in the panel on the right under the heading “Labels”. By clicking on any label, you will immediately have every relevant item gathered together on one page for you to look at.
Are there any worthwhile 
targets left? It sometimes seems to me that I am running out of new subjects to talk about. The ideas no longer come flowing out of the keyboard without effort. It takes more discipline and application now to get the posts out regularly. I have tried to be equal-opportunity offensive in choosing targets for this Blog. Family and friends were not spared. Eventually, one must run out of even worthwhile family and friends to pick on. I have re-visited old topics where I thought they could benefit from a re-airing. I can only do that so often, and then it will appear to be just re-cycling used material. In recent months, there has been a falling off in contributions by new contacts. There is just the steady list of correspondents who were willing to contribute from the first days.
Are there any worthwhile 
targets left? Is there anyone who still wishes to begin making contributions, but has not done so as yet? Unless you convince me otherwise, I give the Blog a score of 3 out of 10 on the prospects for finding worthwhile new targets.
I have two suggestions. They might provide enough new material to keep this going until The Second Coming.
ReplyDelete1. Every day we hear of some wonderful new idea for the future of Anguilla. This morning on AnguillaTalk someone falsely states that non-belongers cannot inherit Anguillian property, and then proposes to solve this problem by granting citizenship to everyone in the diaspora who can prove their bloodline to some Anguillian, even if it was 300 years ago. There are hundreds of these brilliant and innovative ideas. Some of them achieve widespread popularity amond those whose self-confidence exceeds their throughtfulness. There is ample opportunity here to comment on the outcome of adopting such stupitness.
2. Another long series could be based on "What I would do if I woke up tomorrow morning and found myself _____." Examples: Speaker of the House, Leader of the Opposition, Percy Thomas, the Land Development Control Committee, Elkin Richardson, the Chief Education Officer, the Commissioner of Police, Jaggie, Viceroy, the leader of The Valley Boys, Yinka Stanford, Allan Stanford, Hubert, AlberLake, the Chief Justice of the EC Supreme Court...the list is endless and the possibilities are fascinating.
I woud like you to revisit two subjects:
ReplyDelete1. The concept of trial by judge (or judges) vs. trial by jury in Anguilla. It seems to me one way to get a handle on the crime problem is to actually convict criminals which serves to put them behind bars as well as to put fear into the minds of would-be criminals.
2. The concept of Anguillian voters doing something substantial about the existing Government polititians. One substantial move would be to do a wholsale house cleaning: voting out most or all of the existing members thought to be corrupt, so as to render them powerless. Then vote in a new slate of people who are not career polititians. Couple that with steps to establish transparency and perhaps Government can be reined in.
These appear to be two key issues affecting Anguilla today.
One thing I have not seen addressed here is rude and hostile newcomers, primarily from America. If they don't like us, why did they move to our country? How have they gotten belonger rights when they have barely been on island 2 years? It is sad that Anguilla has become "us and them". I hate it. If I am mistaken and this has been previously addressed, I apologize. I didn't see it.
ReplyDeleteHow about something regarding "light pollution?" One of the most beautiful things about the island is being able to sit outside and see the stars, planets, and moon. On a going forward basis, we should be looking at ways to cut down on light pollution that will eventually take away those heavenly nights. It has been done in many other countries and is not that difficult.
ReplyDeleteBeing an avid blogger myself, it's sometimes difficult to come up with topics that I THINK my readers will appreciate.
ReplyDeleteBut the truth is that we read your blog because we find YOUR opinion interesting, even though we may not agree with it all the time.
The above suggestions on what topics to blog about are great, even if they may not fall in the "corruption free" category.
Carry forth and give us your view-point on any topic that YOU find interesting, regardless of what category it may fall into.
The lifecycle of web blogs and chatrooms pretty much follows the lifecycle of mailing lists and internet usenet groups before them.
ReplyDeleteFirst, there's an outpouring of encyclopedic knowledge on the given topic.
Then comes comments on the news of the day as seen through the eyes of the "community".
Then comes the "watering hole" stage, where the people who are left talk about whatever they damn well please, with kibbitzing from the usual suspects, the attendant manifestoes, opuses-on-the-way-out-the-door, and the eventual global flamewar resulting occasionally in litigation of one kind or another.
After the resulting smoking crater cools off, nothing happens from thereon except for periodic "anybody still here?" posts, with or without after-flamage.
Sometimes, after that, new people then move in and pretend they were there all along, and the cycle recurses.
May be you should consider making it a bi weekly blog. Many people read the blog for news but are too selfish or elitist to comment on it.
ReplyDeleteSOmetimes you can expound on a news item. We know we cannot rely on the media to do it. They just read what the GIS sends them. Explore different angles and many persosn woudl be surprise what's underneath.
How about men's fashion trends? In the Overseas Territories, Bermuda leads the way in many things, both good and bad. In a Bermuda Sun article last week about a shooting, they mentioned that the victim, who was shot in the neck and left to die, was wearing a bulletproof vest. This is becoming increasingly common among young Bermudian men.
ReplyDeleteBe the first in your neighbourhood gang to set a stylish new trend.
I see a commercial opportunity here. Badboyz Outfitters
I personally think that you are doing a sTurperb job in your bloggs.here are still a lot of topics that you can use that are quite informative.I enjoyed your views even though I don't always agree with them.
ReplyDeleteOne topic in particular I'm interested in is the way the House of Assembly is conducted.The other day 3/9/07 as I listened to the ministers and other members ,and even the chief minister I was appalled to hear the way they were using this meeting to air their personalmatters.The meeting was convened for the purpose of making an amendment to, I think,the budget,yet it was as if their was a circus going on.Many times the speaker of the house had to remind members to stay on pointwith the issue on hand.It was pitifulto hear the member of road north lament and whine about a road and who come to visit his north hill, member of road south just talkin about anything that comes to his mind for over an hour and not confront the real issues,the chief begging and asking for praisesand thanks from all Anguillians for a good job he has done.The minister from island harbour who only seconds motions but never seem to have a comment on anything .
There should be some time limits set onthese speakers like they do in the US to prevent them from rambling on and on.If they cant stay onthe issues them thpeaker of the house should make them stand down.It was really shocking the way they were behaving in the house.Why do we need to hear about the Chief ministers's medical affairs or who he plans to sue.These things all have their place and time.Hope you can comment on that and give some direction or assitance to the Speaker of the house to gain control and restore order and disciplinein the House.
I would like it very much if you would concentrate on the crime on the Island. As a tourist, I find it very disconcerting to find there is such a gang problem. It would please me very much if you would address this problem and articulate what the local law enforcement is doing to combat this ever increasing problem. It seems as if I read about a new incident every day, rapes, breakins, shootings are occuring with a frequency which is frightening and makes me want to look for a new haven.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your blog and your analytical mind, however, I think you have to consider the Tourists also. Thanks so much for all you do.
I'm not a belonger so it's not appropriate for me to comment on issues you could or should address in future blogs. I do hope you realize that if you receive 10 comments/responses to your question, there are likely 100 people reading your blog. 100 informed people can make a change.
ReplyDeleteIn my country, some people get their information and formulate their opinions and ideas from the New York Times. Others gain knowledge from their local newspaper. Others are kept informed through neighborhood discussions, visits to the local bar, television & radio news, or other informal sources.
The important factor is the credibility of the source of information. You have community respect and you have proven an ability to convey accurate & honest information, therefore you have a sort of obligation to continue.
The issues you have raised in the brief history of your blog are not unique to Anguilla. Social dysfunction, political corruption, and bureaucratic bungling are found to some extent in all societies.
Were I bold enough to suggest a new topic, I would like to learn more about ANGLEC. Who's in charge, why is solar electricity not being discussed, is the cost of oil hedged, etc?
We don't have solar energy or an energy conservation programme or even any encouragement to switch to compact fluorescent bulbs because the Anglec board gives the impression its primary purpose is to create larger dividends for the shareholders.
ReplyDeleteWhile the Public Utilities Commission powers include oversight of such policies, they are silent, and work in secret.
Don
ReplyDeleteI agree with the comments that past articles need to be revisited, for the reasons given.
In view of the outcome of Cap Juluca sale to Gencom (with GoA having a 20% interest), I think it time to review and update your excellent ANTIL posts from March and April. As a stakeholder at NBA I feel aggrieved that the money they put into ANTIL seems to have been frittered away. That money could have been made available for someone wanting to buy land etc.
What do yu think?
I've seen no information on the ANTIL funds being frittered away, or even spent. For all I know it's all still in the ANTIL bank account. Did I miss something? Does the above poster have evidence of this frittering? Did they use it to buy expensive cars for themselves? Is ANTIL another NICA, another Social Security or another Enron? Was the NBA funding a loan, an equity investment or what?
ReplyDeleteI am not a Belonger and therefore am reluctant to comment on your blog. However, I remain interested in reading it.
ReplyDeleteI would like to know more about how welcome foreigners, especially Americans like me, really are these days. Many things have changed with all the new development, and Anguillians have had bad experiences with some foreigners. Attitudes seem very different from when I first started visiting Anguilla in the 90s. The people I came to know then, and even strangers, were exceptionally kind -- which is the primary reason I returned over the years. When on Anguilla, I want to do my part to engender positive interactions. But I also wonder if I will be given the benefit of the doubt these days, before I am judged.
I sense that many, mostly Anguillian, hopes are riding with you even though you haven't received the kind of response to your blog as you might like. For whatever it's worth, I hope you will continue with your constructive and thought-provoking commentary and contributions. And I hope they will bear fruit.
To the American poster above:
ReplyDeleteBlack persons going to America will be a member of a minority. Most Americans will give them the benefit of the doubt, but there are a few radical, hate-filled crazies who will not. They are very, very few, but they do exist.
It is the same in Anguilla. We have a few of those. More commonly their hatred is for all foreigners, rather than those of a particular race. Again, they are rare, very rare. You will find them in any country. We don't seem to have a name for them. In Cayman they're called "radical nationalists."
Other that that, Anguillians are intelligent, fair-minded people who are just as judgemental as people anywhere else. They will judge how you act, what you say and do, and decide, just as all of us do, whether they like you or dislike you. Only Jesus, God and politicians love everybody. The rest of us pick and choose who we befriend.
I think the answer you're looking for is yes, Anguillians are just like people everywhere, and if you want to feel welcome here, just live by the Golden Rule. But don't brag about it. You'll be fine.
What makes the poster above think that the ANTIL money is still untouched in the bank account?
ReplyDeleteWho paid for the full page adverts in the Anguillian, Daily Herald and other media? Did Nat and Courtney run them for free?
Was any money paid to consultants, directors or advisors who may also have had service contracts with GoA etc - if so to whom and how much?
ANTIL is under no obligation to disclose its finances to the person posting or to anyone else. Does that mean the funds are down the pan, there is no recourse and that is the end of it?
The poster above does not think or say the ANTIL money is still untouched in their bank account. He or she said there is no public information on this point, one way or the other.
ReplyDeleteThe 2 above posters are both right.
ReplyDeleteIf Mr Mitchell revisits the ANTIL issue though maybe the dust will fly, then clear, and we might find out the answer.
What seems undisputable is that NBA gave ANTIL money. This appears not to have been a repayable loan, so what happened to the funds is almost irrelevant.
Does such a gift serve the interests of NBA's shareholders? If Gencom had mind to, could they take legal action against ANTIL, NBA et al for interference?