PLP: ‘Programs Should Have Started Long Ago’
With only two months until the America’s Cup, the PLP “encourages entrepreneurs to take advantage of this last minute program, if you can,” Shadow Tourism Minister Jamahl Simmons said, adding that “planning and programs like this should have started long ago to ensure benefits are spread widely.”
Mr Simmons did not refer to a specific program, however earlier today the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation [BEDC] announced it has allocated $300,000 in funds for small, short-term loans – $2,000 to $20,000 – to facilitate local business opportunities developing or expanding as a result of the America’s Cup being held in Bermuda between May and June 2017.
Mr. Simmons said, “Since the announcement of the America’s Cup, the PLP have called for greater inclusion, opportunity and diversity when it comes to jobs and opportunities surrounding this event which will cost taxpayers over $100 million.
“After years of virtually ignoring this call, at the eleventh hour we are now witnessing a mad scramble by the OBA to add diversity and inclusion to a mix that previously seemed concentrated within mostly the legacy businesses and traditional elite interests.
“Oh what a difference an election year makes,” Mr Simmons added.
“With only two months until the AC and with Bermudian jobs continuing to disappear under the OBA, the PLP encourages entrepreneurs to take advantage of this last minute program, if you can.
“It is the PLP’s view, however, that planning and programs like this should have started long ago to ensure benefits are spread widely.
“There have been and remain many lessons to be learned from the OBA’s management of the America’s Cup, not the least of which is that any event funded with tax dollars must begin at a place of inclusion and diversity.
“For any similar project in the future, the PLP will ensure that entrepreneurs and business development are the first thought and not the afterthought.”
Explain the $100M figure please….
Easy….burt math lol
Just one question,somebody please remind me how the PLPs Tourism plans included anyone else and how they planned so far ahead?
How many Bermudians benefited from Diaspora Tourism,. Faith Based Tourism initiative, Dr. Browns gift to Globalhues TWO contracts? How inclusive were they? Surely if Jamahl is going to say the OBA should have done better, he can show how in 14 years in power, how they did better/ Anyone, anyone, anyone care to comment!
Jamahal, surely you read these comment and don’t mind publicly stating your opinion in a forum where people can paused, think, research and speak without being under pressure or in fear of retaliation.
I think they try to add in things like lost tax revenues from concessions that were made… revenue we would never have had to begin with anyway, so they aren’t really lost. Burt mathematics, ‘create equations that give you the number you want’
No real lose if the revenue wouldn’t have been there anyway.
He can’t. He’s talking the usual bollocks.
Jamaahl, if you didn’t bother to attend any of the workshops, meetings, info sessions and the dozens of other informati0n sessions that the AC people and Bermuda government have put on then I guess it is time for you to hang up your gloves.
4 YEARS OF PREPERATIONS, MEETINGS AND YOU ARE SURPRISED AND NEEDED MORE WARNING???you call yourself a LEADER?! What a joke.
Desperate, desperate, desperate excuse to make the unprepared and procrastinators feel like they were left out.
This is what separates the Entrepreneurs from the Entremanures! You are that guys that says “I had that idea in my dream and did nothing about it and that guy “stole” my idea.
Your press releases were an embarrassment to the UBP and I’m sure PLP members and even OBA and Undecided public cringe when you make a press release because your words as politician make headlines. is your strategy , to bash everyone down to pick yourself up!
W
Do you
Some people are talkers, and some are doers. The risk is that the doers don’t always make the best decisions, but I res[pect the fact that they make the best decisions they can with the information that they have at the time. I respect the fact that they try.
You have been involved in politics with two parties for what 15-20 years, and what have you accomplished? Surely by now you can say that while you were a part of the UBP or PLP you were responsible for bringing’X” to Bermudam, or changing tlaw ‘x’? yes/ no?
Sad thing is that you genuinely are a nice person, wit good intentions that hass gotten caught up in the power game. Nobody wins long term when you play that way. Do you not get it, you are a cheerleader that comes with both risk and a price. When your price (and I don’t mean monetary) outweighs your liability they will support you. When that changes, so will your “friends”.
Oh please.
Instead of moaning get involved and encourage every Bermudian to get involved.
It would be awesome to hear all radio talk shows encourage Bermudians to get involved and leverage this opportunity.
It’s a very positive thing for our country and our people. Let’s make sure the world sees how great Bermudians are.
Blessings abound!
why does this comment have so many dislikes? Are we hoping we all fail?actually the answer for some is YES.
it is amazing the more this guy talks the more he shows how incapable he is …please Jamahl be quiet ..you are clueless and talk for the sake of talking The plp would have done this and the plp would have done that …trust me the plp have done enough damage and i don’t want to see them back …the Bermuda public have been asked to get involved for 3 years …if anyone wanted to be engaged they had the resources to get information …oh i’m sorry maybe Jamahl thinks the OBA should be responsible to make Bermudians do it .or maybe more free giveways the way to go …wow I am so glad my parents taught me if I wanted something i needed to find a way to get it
more hot air from a flip flop, as usual,l no substance ,re hashed crap, and no base from a lost sole. Please note the other flip flops silence is deafening as well.
I give him credit hes got nerve.
Hey Jamal why don’t you and the rest of the useless PLP Ministers take some initiative and encourage people to LOOK for opportunities rather than complaining….you were useless as a Government and useless as an opposition….I know many people who having been taking advantage of the America’s Cup opportunities for over a year and are making a killing…..don’t wait go look…it is out there
Look under his hood – he does not have an engine!! Blaa Blaa Blaa. Instead of encouraging people to do something he would rather spout off.
He is getting real boring.
Once again a statement that highlights just how inqualified he is for this ministry. So many MIS assertions and misleading statements that I don’t even know where to begin… I’m still trying to determine if he even knows what they are.
Mr. Simmons you are amazing! Here it was I thought from the very inception of AC 35, the PLP were trying to scupper the event. It appears, now that has failed, a light bulb has been turned on and you now can’t promote it enough. Trouble is, all along you and your party have been putting your supporters off having anything to do with AC 35. Now at the eleventh hour, you want to shift the blame onto the OBA for your and your supporters lack of support all along, you want the government to ride to the rescue for your supporters when others who saw an opportunity from the beginning, work very hard to establish themselves, you want the government to give those who had little to no interest a leg up over those who worked diligently to build their business? Please acquaint yourself with the word hypocrite!
What he says is the truth
He’s an idiot and so are you if you listen ti his bulls..t,
What a short memory – to give Mr. Simmons the benefit of the doubt, since I don’t want to outright call him a liar. ““Since the announcement of the America’s Cup, the PLP have called for greater inclusion, opportunity and diversity when it comes to jobs and opportunities surrounding this event which will cost taxpayers over $100 million.” Oh REALLY?!? Since the announcement of the America’s Cup, the PLP have criticised, down-played, disparaged and mis-represented the whole project, discouraging their supporters from embracing the wonderful opportunities that were and are available.
Even in this statement, there is misrepresentation regarding the cost. It is my understanding that the only government expenditure was the government guarantee of $70 million IF there was a shortfall in advertising revenue. The break even point was reached some time ago, so no need for government to expend those funds. Work done up there in the AC Village (whatever it’s name is), was already scheduled to be done and will be utilised by Bermuda long after the AC has come and gone, so that shouldn’t be included. In any case, that cost was under $40m, so I just don’t know how Mr. Simmons arrived at his “over $100 million” figure. Probably just another gross exaggeration, and there have been far too many of those for his words to be taken seriously.
In any case, perhaps if there hadn’t been so much push-back on every front, there might have been an opportunity for all of us to focus on the AC. I’m sure those who are closest to the project have found it to be a real uphill battle.
@ Pastor Syl, thank you, well said!
Agreed on the lastminute dot com introduction of these programs. Seems fake and void of genuine desire tobsee people succeed despite its good intentions
First off Jamahl, if the PLP were in there would be no A C and you can take that to the bank. Mark Bean and his followers would have no idea as to how to handle something of this magnitude. However Jamahl please do not stop, every time you open your mouth the OBA get a few more votes. You have become the OBA’s secret weapon to winning the next election, especially in the west end.
What I find most fascinating is the wave of down voters that come in groups of 130 to dislike anything against the plp…
It cracks me up how all the comments (bar the usual one) are laughing at what Mr Simmons says, but there are so many dislikes to those comments.
Perhaps if all those dislikers could add their own comments as to why they agree with Mr Simmons, we could have a balanced discussion.
Or is that computer busy?
All of you need to stop the verbal diarrhoea and get involved!!!!
“…this event which will cost taxpayers over $100 million…”
Stopped reading there. Christ, what an utter useless windbag this clown continues to be.
The PLP hate the fact this is massive for Bermuda and deep down, know they had neither the wit or capability to bring an event of this nature to Bermuda.
Blah, blah, blah.
The AC seems to be the greatest threat to the PLP. What is good for the people of Bermuda is bad for the PLP.
The UBP guy flaps his lips again