PHIL RUFFIN A BETTER FRIEND TO CHRISTIE & BAHAMIANS THAN LOUIS BACON

It is no doubt that the Bahamas, like the world over, is going through one of the most difficult economic periods where it is caught up in the GLOBAL MELT DOWN.   It's a country being faced with most challenging times, struggling in finding creative ways to overcome the dark days of financial travesty that has caused the loss of many jobs and the foreclosure of many homes. This was a challenge of the previous Free National Movement (FNM) administration who failed to attract the right investors or business partners to help to jumpstart our fragile economy. Instead, the FNM chose the company of millionaires and persons of special interest such as the Aga Khan and Louis Bacon who, through their disregard for the law of the Bahamas, showed that some government officials can be bought for a price.  

Aga Khan IV

Louis Bacon

During these tough economic times, foreign residents like the Aga Khan and Bacon really did not bring any true economic value to the country or the Bahamian people. The friendship that a few high ranking officials in the former FNM administration had with them made it all the more apparent that there was no benefit for Bahamians to their arrival.  Rather, they seemed to engage in their personal agendas with a blatant disregard for the Bahamas' pristine natural conditions and turquoise waters.  

This is what the FNM's rich and famous friends did to the Bahamas and the Bahamian people and yet the FNM party, who is now in opposition, has the gaul to try and chastise the new Prime Minister Perry Christie and his administration, which has good and decent friends such as Phil Ruffin. 

Phil Ruffin

If any government is to chose a friend for or to introduce to this country and it's people to, it should be  investors like Ruffin who has proven himself to the Bahamas and the Bahamian people. It is a known fact that Ruffin was the former owner of the Wyndham Nassau Beach Resort and Crystal Palace Casino and Nassau Beach Hotel. With such an investment, Phil Ruffin had created many jobs; putting many Bahamians to work, which allowed them to build homes and send their children to college. This is not the case for the Aga Khan and surely not that of Louis Bacon. The FNM business friends were totally different and brought unwanted international attention to the Bahamas and its people. The Aga Khan with a one million dollar gift to the Bahamas National Trust and the assistance of then FNM Cabinet Minister Earl Deveaux who allowed the Aga Khan to dredge into the historical and sacred Exuma Marine National Park just so the prince could comfortably sail his 200 foot yacht right into a new dock at Bell Island.  That caused much controversy and protests from the local and international environmentalists.  

The hedge fund King Louis Bacon on the other hand, brought much shame and scandal to the Bahamas - especially to the people that live behind the tranquil gates of Lyford Cay where Bacon's Point House home is.  It's at Point House where a number of mysterious deaths were reported.  Bahamian police raided Bacons home in Lyford Cay for a number of illegal military speakers and supposedly quite a large number of licensed guns that the Commissioner of Police found to be very suspicious.  So it appears to be very hypoticritical for the leaders in the FNM party to accuse Prime Minister Perry Christie of keeping unsavory friends while it appears to be very true that it is the previous administration led by then Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham who cloaked the unsavory rich and famous people in the Bahamas who had their way with the FNM government.