The Anguillian
February 26th, 2012
Dear Editor:
I’ve been following now with keen interest the dolphin situation inAnguilla. It is truly amazing what has happened. This should be a non-issue, but instead we have the makings of a public relations nightmare. Given that we are a tourist oriented economy, you would think that the powers that be would ensure that nothing at all threatens our livelihood which is based wholly on those people that come to our shores.
Why then is the government, who I might add was elected by the people, of the people and for the people, now choose to commit a most egregious act against the very same people who elected them to office? It is either plain stupidity or greed. You decide.
Anguillians, I seem to remember a few years ago when Beal Industries wanted to useSombreroas a launching pad for communication rockets. Well, Beal was forced to back down when a unified group of Anguillians opposed the project just because it would have harmed the wild life on the island. Organizations such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in theUKvoiced their support. Beal retreated and took his business to the USVI, never to be heard from again.
It is well documented that this dolphin discovery operation is fraught with problems, none of which has an easy solution. After reading up on this outfit, it is clear that it is a money making machine for its investors, but not much for anyone else. It is ironic as has been pointed out by many people, that the Anguillian Flag whose symbol is the three dolphins, frolicking freely in a circular pattern, now represents dolphins in captivity. How is that for irony? Folks you can’t make up this stuff.
This thing reared its ugly head years ago, and after they were paid off quite handsomely by Viceroy to set up shop some place other than the very luxurious Meads Bay, to move to a different location where the natives would not mind having this eyesore in their backyards? Really? So afterMeadsBaytold them to take a hike they wound up atSandyPointBeach, Blowing Point, on land that has been designated for a public park. The courts ruled in favor of the people. Now here we are again, fighting the same battle. The question that everyone should be asking is WHY? Did we not litigate this battle before? What has changed? True, we have a new government in power, but these guys were also against the project too. Back in October 2010, the then opposition member Mr. Hughes agreed with the people of Blowing Point that the dolphin project should not locate atSandyPoint. He said,” I am convinced thatSandyPointis not the right site for the dolphin pool. It may be easier for the developer, but it is not the right site.”
Given that information is now at the click of a mouse, you can see a public relations disaster in the making forAnguilla. When it comes to cruelty to animals, and that is exactly what this is, people err on the side of the animals and they will not support any entity that is seen as condoning or allowing such practices to occur. They have been reports of boycottingAnguillaif this project is allowed to go forward. That is the last thing we want to hear. So here it is. On the Mayor Show of the 25th of February, Ms Palmavon Webster came out breathing fire with regard to the dDolphin project and she was resolute and downright adamant in her assessment of the project. She said outright that given that we’re a high end destination, that the dolphin project would have nothing to offer our brand. I wholeheartedly agree with everything she had to say. If one researched who these people are, and where they’ve been, and have seen what they’ve done, then these people are not who we want on our shores. This is a fight we don’t want.
What the devil is wrong with this government? Are we not famous for our beaches and our azure blue waters. Do we not market our island as “Tranquility Wrapped in Blue?” Why do we want to screw this up? Who wants to sit at the Ferryboat Inn looking out at what used to be a magnificent beach, but is now being contaminated by dolphin poop and everything else that’s attached to this, and for what? So that a few people can make out like bandits?
Our elected representatives need to stand before their constituents and explain why they are adamant about going forward with this project when clearly the people want it gone?
Last week Paulette Harrigan listed the lack of oversight as a threat to our democracy here. Investors know that we lack Physical Planning and Environmental laws, so we’re at their mercy.
It’s time that we set aside our differences and come together as one and let this government know that we elected them to serve us, not themselves or their rich friends. We don’t want this thing in Blowing Point or anywhere else for that matter. We’re a stubborn and arrogant people and being one of the groups I know that it’s hard to admit wrongdoing in the sense that it is wrong to allow this thing to go forward. We need to hold our representatives’ feet to the fire.
We are struggling right now and the last thing we want is to further damage the Anguillian brand. Granted, we’re a new nation and we’re still learning, but we’ve got to be careful not to be exploited by charlatans, and the like, simply because laws that protect us against this sort of thing sit gathering dust on a shelf somewhere. Right about now, recall elections would be a welcome site. We stood up to Beal when he wanted to useSombreroto launch his rockets.
Act in the best interest of the people or seek a new line of employment. You simply can’t go off on a tangent and do what you want to do. So, Honorable gentlemen, you need to stand and defend your actions or lack of actions. This does not look good. If I’m wrong, then clear up any misunderstandings. If you don’t do so, then maybe you do have something to hide. Just think, who the devil wants to deal with a ninety nine year lease? Are you nuts?
Sincerely,
Concerned Citizen.
