Give us the facts & stop crying propaganda- John Lewis
"Perhaps it would be nice and proper if what is being said is propaganda can be refuted if the decision makers will just give us the facts," said John Lewis as he reminded government, "this not a government only decision."
Lewis was the host of 'Speak Your Mind', a talk show aired on JTV CH 55 on January 28, 2017. He alluded to hearing a report on a local radio station where Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith (AL) referred the to publicly expressed opinions about the controversial extension of the run way of the Terrence B. Lettsome Airport on Beef Island as propaganda.
"I could remember when the issue was raised at the East End/Long Look Community Centre when the government was there and they told us what was going to happen, what's it intended to give to the people, how the community will benefit."
"Now that you would have reached this particular point perhaps it would be nice if government would come and look and consider that we the people deserve to know."
The project has come in for serious scrutiny following governments announcement that the preferred bidder is China Construction Communication Company whose bid was $153,432,572.10 as against IDL/McAlphine a company with a percentage of local partnership whose bid was approximately $198,910,525.
Further, the concern is that the territory is already cash strapped and should not undertake a project of this magnitude.
Added to this, Government just invested $7M into BVI Airways for direct flights between Miami and Beef Island and some argue that Government should wait to see how this deal plays out and also monitor whether the bulk of US travellers would prefer direct flights to the VI as against going through St Thomas, US Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico.
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21 Responses to “Give us the facts & stop crying propaganda- John Lewis”
Based on your response it is reasonable to assume that you are banking on the income from private jets and if that is the case how many BVI Islanders travel on private jets? You are just confirming what we have all come to believe that this is about the wishes of a chosen few who are in the minority. So why should the majority pay for the small minority? Why should the majority have to pay extra taxes for this? Why should the majority have to continue to suffer a the hands of inadequate infrastructure because of this project?
Since we have already expended 7 million of our tax money on BVI Airways why not give that a chance and maybe use that as a case study for flights to them Mainland.
Add to that this Government's record with capital projects:
32 million over expenditure on the Pier Park...Unfinished
50 million over expenditure on the Hospital...Unfinished
15 million from CDB and 12million so far from SSB all spent on the roads...Unfinished..
These are not alternative facts but reality. Sure there is more but why continue...