LNG from Trinidad and Tobago and the Energy Security of Jamaica

The Senator James Robertson, Minister of Energy and Mining in the Government of Jamaica has stated in Parliament that Government of Jamaica soon plans to liberalize the Energy Sector, paving the way for Third Party Power Utility Companies to come to Jamaica to not only produce Electrical Power but to also have a license to distribute, as currently under the Power and Utilities Act, JPS Co (Jamaica Power Service Company) is the only Power Utility Company that can legally produce and distribute Electrical Power.

Other Power Utility Companies operating in Jamaica can only produce Electrical Power and resell it to JPS Co (Jamaica Power Service Company) but they cannot distribute it e.g. JEP (Jamaica Energy Partners) in Old Harbour, which has two (2) floating Power Barges, Doctor Bird 1 and Doctor Bird 2 as well as JEPP (Jamaica Energy Power Partners). It should thus be assumed that this liberalization would also include not only power generation but also the Bio-fuels Sector and the Alternative Energy Sector, which is worth billions.

It is very likely, with the current Recession, that there will be an accelerated push for the full Liberalization of the Energy Sector, possibly via negotiations as was the case with the Liberalization of the Telecom Sector in 1997 by the then Senator Phillip Paulwell, Minister of Information and Telecommunications as the Government of Jamaica seeks to sell off its stake in Public Sector Companies that are loss making e.g. Air Jamaica, Jamaica Railway Corporation, JPS Co (Jamaica Power Service Company), etc.

Thus, based on these current economic conditions, any such Power Utility Company would have to demonstrate the following to be allowed to get a Power Utility Company License to produce and distribute Electrical Power in Jamaica:

1.      Power must only generated using Renewable Energy and not increase the Government of Jamaica’s Oil Bill

2.      It must be a source of Taxable Revenue

3.      It must be signatory to a Bilateral Trade Agreement similar to those signed by other FDI (Foreign Direct Investor)

4.      It would have to not only produce its own power from Renewable Energy sources but would also have to aid Jamaica in producing Bio-fuels for the Domestic and Export Market e.g. LNG (Liquid Natural Gas), E80, Bio-Diesel

5.      It would have the option to go into Telecoms and become a Telecoms Provider

6.      The Government of Jamaica would have to have a controlling stake in the Power Utility Company, with decision-making capabilities with regards to the Power Utility Company long term

7.      It would introduce Smart Grid Technology that would allow for the transparent billing of Commercial or Residential Customers and Subscribers and auditing by Third Party and Government of Jamaica Auditors

8.      It would create significant employment in the Energy Sector both for students from local Universities but also for local contracting companies.

9.      It would have to demonstrate financially viability, cost effectiveness and technically feasibility

10.  It would have to demonstrate that it has little environmental impact and does not contribute to environmental pollution

11.  It could guarantee power supplies to all Jamaicans at rates competitive to that of JPS Co (Jamaica Power Service Company) without Government of Jamaica subsidies.

As the Electrical Power has to be produced by Renewable Energy Sources, the lists of such Renewable Resources available to the Power Utility Company are as follows:

1.      Wind (Land Based and Offshore)

2.      Solar (Photovoltaic and Solar Steam)

3.      Hydroelectric (Natural and Artificial Reservoir)

4.      LNG (Liquid Natural Gas)

5.      Hydrogen Gas (Sequestered from Sea Water)

6.      Hydrogen Fuel Cells

One of the major sources of Electrical Energy for the Power Utility Company will be LNG (Liquid Natural Gas). According to the article “LNG for Jamaica a national priority – Manning”, published Friday June 26, 2009, by Linda Hutchinson-Jafar, Business Writer, The Friday Gleaner.

Prime Minister of Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Patrick Manning, has stated that LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) for Jamaica is a “national priority” with Republic of Trinidad and Tobago supplying Jamaica with LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) to Jamalco so as to lower the cost of the production of alumina, which would then be shipped to the Alutrint Facility in Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to be smelted and converted to Aluminum.

According to another article “No Trinidad LNG for Jamaica anytime soon”, published Friday December 15, 2006, by Linda Hutchinson-Jafar, Business Writer, The Friday Gleaner, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago had drilled a Test Well at a cost of US$80 million and had found no oil or LNG (Liquid Natural Gas), hence they decided they were unable to supply Jamaica with LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) due to unavailability of supply

The fact that there is now a supply of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) coming to Jamaica, possibly by 2010 - 2011, with a possibility of more due to increased competition from LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) suppliers in China, the Middle East and Far East countries.

According to the article “Rivalry sends Trinidad in search of new LNG markets”, published Saturday, July 4, 2009, by Linda Hutchinson-Jafar, Business Writer, The Saturday Gleaner, , the market for LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) has since changed for Republic of Trinidad and Tobago LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) since 2006, as stated by Robert Riley, Chairman and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of BP Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Currently there is no central body or cartel that controls the price of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) worldwide, much in the same way that OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) controls the price of oil worldwide. These producers, for who LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) is merely a by-product as they produce more valuable chemicals such as methanol and ammonia, can flood the LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) Market with large and cheaper volumes of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas).

The United States of America is Republic of Trinidad and Tobago’s largest buyer of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) and thus the possibility exists that these cheaper suppliers of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) can effectively compete with Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for supply to the United States of America.

The US of A is presently the largest current and future user of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas), as the United States of America, under an initiative spearheaded by President George W. Bush, is looking to Renewable Energy as a means of reducing the United States of America’s dependence on Foreign Oil.

As such, LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) is part of the Renewable Energy for the United States of America for its Domestic Supply of Fuels along with Biodiesel and E80 to be used for Electrical Power Generation and Motor Vehicle Fuels respectively.

I am hoping that the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has into account the current Recession worldwide and the fact that Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has decided to supply us with at least one (1) train of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas).

This with the possibility of getting additional three (3) trains of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) from Republic of Trinidad and Tobago by 2011-2012 as the market for LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) from Republic of Trinidad and Tobago begins to contract due to the availability of cheaper LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) from LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) suppliers in China, the Middle East and Far East countries.

As such, for Republic of Trinidad and Tobago’s survival in an Unregulated LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) Market, it is most likely the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago would consider the option of selling the additional three (3) trains of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) to us, considering the fact that Republic of Trinidad and Tobago cannot and will not be able to find any market for it.

It will be too expensive in the future as their current markets Chile and Brazil who will be courted by LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) suppliers in China, the Middle East and Far East countries, suppliers, who, because of economy-of-scale can effectively compete with Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in terms of Pricing and Volume of Supply.

It would thus be in the Government of Jamaica’s and the Government of Republic of Trinidad and Tobago’s best interest with respect to fixing the Trade Deficit that exists between the two (2) countries as well as Republic of Trinidad and Tobago’s Trade Deficit with CARICOM to display a strong interest in the recovery of the entire CARICOM Trading Bloc by selling the additional three (3) trains of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) as suggested above to Jamaica and CARICOM with the following benefits:

1.      Electrical Power Generation

2.      Public Transportation (Jamaica Urban Transport Association, Jamaica Railway Corporation

3.      Private Passenger and Carrier Vehicles modified with flexfuel engines to use LNG (Liquid Natural Gas), E80, Biodiesel, etc.

Specifically the use of LNG could not only result in a cheaper bus service, by virtue of lower fuel costs and cleaner burning fuel which is good for your engine, but would also reduce the cost of transportation, as LPG, the vehicle portable version of LNG costs almost JA$50 per liter.

Such a supply of cheaper fuel could also see the economically feasible revival of the train services here in Jamaica and even small aircraft for flights between the various aerodromes in Jamaica could be revived by just the simple conversion of the engines to burn LPG, as offered by the company Challenger Transport company Ltd (926-6414).

Challenger Transport company Ltd (926-6414) is a company more known for the rental of buses and trucks which has decided to launch the installation and servicing of such units in Jamaica which is already common in Dominican Republic.

They have apparently undergone two (2) years of extensive training of its technicians to be ISO9001 certified to not only offer the installation but the sole maintenance of the units based on the presentation made on “Smile Jamaica Morning Time” broadcast 8:15am March 16th 2010 on TVJ, a member of the RJR Communications Group.

Other companies that do this type of conversion are sure to follow and lead the way in a clean energy revolution that not only will save the environment but also save the Government of Jamaica billions on the cost of imported oil and drive the cost of energy to more business-friendly levels and thus be a driver of growth in our economy.

The non-compliance of Telecoms Providers with GOJ despite bad service

As the majority of Jamaicans are experiencing the increases in basic commodities due to the increases in electricity and motor vehicle fuel, John Public is quick to notice that albeit other industries are squealing, the Telecoms Providers seem to be quiet.

They are neither contributing anything, whether in support or in opposition to the increased level of taxation being imposed by the Government of Jamaica, especially after posting record profits as stated in the article “Telecom revenue hit record in September Q” published Wednesday July 7th 2010, The Jamaica Observer, with profits overall up by 6.5% year-on-year to US$13.5 billion. 

This observation holds true not only for the Telecoms Providers, but also for the Power Utility Companies, Broadcasters and the Newspapers, all in capitals to indicate their prime importance to Jamaica, as they make life on this little island bearable and possible. Worse, their service is getting unbearable without MNP (Mobile Number Portability) and Flat Rate Calling, despite the glitzy advertising.

As the price of commodities on the world market increase and the Government of Jamaica increases and introduces new taxes, one is left to wonder if these increases are in some way benefiting the Telecoms Providers.

Telecoms Providers may in fact, be dodging taxes, as most of the Telecoms Providers are not submitting themselves to thorough audits in every department of their companies and may be in fact not only dodging taxes payable on PAYE salaries, but also on financial transactions, evidence of which I witnessed when I used to work at C&W and CLARO.

In both instances, I had pointed it out and to date no attempt by the respective Telecoms Providers have been made to make their companies more transparent to the Government of Jamaica and be more tax compliant.

In one instance, one Telecom Provider has repeatedly refused to make their profit and loss statements public, and after eight (8) years of operation in Jamaica, albeit this Telecoms Provider has begun to make profit, is yet to give any indication to John Public that it intends or has the intention to make an IPO (Initial Public Offering).

This would allow the local investors to invest in the company, making the company truly Jamaica by allowing all Jamaicans a chance to be shareholders in their company and “revel in their success”

I am thus left to wonder, also, why official inter-map sharing had not already been initiated at the Telecoms Providers, inclusive of the big three (3) and the smaller Telecoms Providers and the Broadcasters i.e. RJR Communications Group and CVM Communications Group and the Newspaper i.e. The Gleaner Company, the Herald and the Jamaica Observer as going MNP (Mobile Number Portability).

Going HDTV (High Definition Digital Television) and paperless respectively would require that this information not only be made widely available to the Government of Jamaica but also John Public.

The Public is most interested in knowing what the Telecoms Providers, Broadcasters and Newspapers who are all part of Telecommunications are doing in compliance with the Government of Jamaica in order to increase the Taxable Revenues collected from the industry.

It would also as well as streamline Telecommunications and allow for the entry of more local investors with the freeing up of spectrum in the Television and Radio Frequency Spectrum, specifically the white spaces that exist between the frequency bands in Television Broadcast.

These White Space Frequencies the Spectrum Management Authority will auction off as free broadcast spectrum for High speed data usage reserved for small Telecoms Service providers.

John Public is demanding answers, in light of the lackluster performance of Telecom Provider CLARO and its International Calling Service and the resolution of the problem reported by John Public since Sunday 25th July 2010, Telecom Provider Digicel

Their refusal to support MNP (Mobile Number Portability) and Telecom Provider LIME and all of the Big Three (3) Telecom Providers and their refusal to support informing customer when they are close to exceeding their Voice Plans (Local, International and Cross-Network), SMS Plans (Local, International and Cross-Network) and Data Plans needs to be investigated.

Increase Fines and Taxation for the #Jamaican Music Industry

The days of Dancehall and other performing Artiste from Jamaica going to other countries and even here locally and doing and saying what they like in the name of Freedom of Expression are over.

This is the general mood that most people who attended the recent Gleaner Editors' Forum take from the event, as it would seem that Dancehall, after the arrest of Mark Myrie, otherwise knows by his nom de guerre as Buju Banton, by Federal Agents on charges of dealing in and attempting to smuggle cocaine as stated in the article “No an easy road - Buju Banton held for cocaine possession in the United States”, published Sunday, December 13, 2009, by Livern Barrett, Sunday Gleaner, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Buju Banton is now under closer scrutiny from foreign countries as the Dancehall Artiste now traditional source of revenue upon many of which are dependent to live their lavish lifestyles – touring – is become more difficult to access.

Touring their main source of Funding – No revenue from CD Royalties

As discussed at the Gleaner Editors' Forum, Digital Music Piracy make it difficult for Dancehall Artiste to make money from their music, as many Dancehall Artiste have admittedly changed their business models, going into investing their hard earned money in clothing lines, perfumes, beauty salon and barber shops and even condoms as in the case of Vybz Kartel.

The main source of financing for these Artistes is touring and corporate sponsorship, as they barely get any revenue from CD single and album sales, royalties and airtime payola as access to the internet becomes more prevalent, spurring an increase in music and video downloading.

However, since early 2009, when Esther Tyson, Principal of Ardenne High School wrote her stirring editorial in the Sunday Gleaner in response to the airplay given by the song “Rampin’ Shop” by the duo Vybz Kartel and Spice and the Government of Jamaica.

The Broadcasting Commission has since responded by banning all forms of music that had sexually explicit and violent content, specifically Dancehall acts that continually gave airplay to songs that had “bleeping and beeping”.

Dancehall has to be compliant – No more Violent or Sexually Explicit Lyrics

The tables have been completely turned for these Dancehall Artiste who still have been non-compliant and are now facing a more re-energized Government of Jamaica that seems ready to punish them for their sexually explicit and violent content, making them for the first time face a grim reality: clean up their acts or face certain financial starvation.

For not only have Dancehall Artiste found it difficult to make money by singing Dancehall tunes with sexually explicit and violent content, the Dancehall Artiste have also found increasingly that they are being banned not only by local corporate entities, who are no longer allowing them to perform at their corporate sponsored events.

On the airwaves, Radio DJ now fear being banned by the Broadcasting Commission but also by countries abroad, both in the Caribbean as well as in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Canada. These countries have long grown intolerant of Dancehall music over the years and its tendencies to incite the worst in its citizenry via its sexually explicit and violent content.

They have begun to clamp down via the enactment of key pieces of legislation, a few of which have been championed by the Gay Lobby in these various foreign countries.

As stated in the article “Locked out - Jamaican acts finding it more and more difficult to get into some countries” , published Sunday, December 27, 2009, by Howard Campbell, Sunday Gleaner, The Jamaica Gleaner, a lot of these Dancehall Artiste are finding their livelihoods under threat as they are now not only unable to have their Dancehall songs with sexually explicit and violent content get airplay.

Radio Stations fear the heavy penalties as well as the threat of losing their broadcast licenses, but they are being banned from performing in foreign countries as well. Thus the Dancehall Artistes are being faced with a simple reality: clean up your act or start looking for a new career, as it is no longer business as usual.

Corporate Sponsors run away from Dancehall – Throw their money behind Televised Competition

Part of the problem with Dancehall acts is that a lot of the Brand Managers at such Corporate Entities, especially those that distribute brewed and non-brewed products e.g. Red Stripe, Red Bull, Magnum, are young people in the age range 25 to 30 years old.

Clyde McKenzie, a veteran music personality, was quoted as saying that recently at a Gleaner Editors' Forum:  “Most of them [young brand managers] don't know the history, so you find that they are not aware of where the music is coming from” , as stated in the article “Clean up your act! Music personalities urge Corporate Jamaica, Media to help clean up Dancehall content”, published Sunday, December 27, 2009, by Roxroy McLean, Sunday Gleaner, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Thus it would explain why before the Broadcasting Commission imposed the ban on the public airplay Dancehall songs with sexually explicit and violent content, most of these stage shows, such as Sting and Reggae Sumfest had a lot of Artistes who basically were flaunting the law with expletives and as they themselves would say, “giving the public what they paid for”.

After the ban, not only have most of these brewed and non-brewed products as well as Telecoms Providers and other distributors or products shied away from using Dancehall Artistes to promote their products and services, they have now begun to throw their corporate dollars behind supporting such local productions aimed at finding and promoting local yet-to-be discovered Artistes via such televised programmes as:

1. Digicel Rising Stars
2. Magnum King and Queen of Dancehall
3. Dancing Dynamites
4. All Together Sing

Brand Managers have also been put on a leash by the Senior Managers of the companies that they represent after having Dancehall Artistes use expletives and lyrics with sexually explicit and violent content.

They now have withdraw their support for major stage shows and have now begun to stop using most Dancehall Artiste, especially those associated in the past with the usage of expletives, sexually explicit and violent content and run-ins with the law from promoting their products and services.

Another part of the problem is the contribution to the so called “Gaza-Gully” conflict played by the media, which some felt, like the young Brand Managers, perpetuated the continued attention paid to the conflict and even its expansion to the point where it began affecting young adolescents at high school, as stated in the article “Clean up your act! Music personalities urge Corporate Jamaica, Media to help clean up Dancehall content”, published Sunday, December 27, 2009, by Roxroy McLean, Sunday Gleaner, The Jamaica Gleaner by another veteran in the music business, Michael Barnett.

He was quoted as saying that, “At what point have we decided that these people are so important to us that everything they do is to be on the front pages of the paper? I think that the media need to sit down and decide what is priority”.

This a rather telling statement, as if the media had not played its part in perpetuating news and giving the conflict more attention than it was due, the “Gaza-Gully” conflict between Adijah 'Vybz Kartel' Palmer and David 'Mavado' Brooks would have, as the article further goes on to state, “died its natural death long ago”.

Academia defending Dancehall Lyrics – Study sample size not representative of Jamaica Population

But the most troubling contributors to the problem of sexually explicit and violent content in Dancehall is the fact that local academia at the University of the West Indies are still defending the use of such lyrics in the public space, despite the fact that Dancehall Artiste are not only being banned locally but abroad.

Lecturers such as Dr. Donna Hope-Marquis continue to preach the idea from the pulpit of the lecture theatre that the sexually explicit and violent lyrics of Dancehall music do not have the “propensity to damage the psyche of our children”, as she was quoted as saying in the article “On the Dancehall bandwagon - Local academics being blamed for falling standards”, published Sunday, December 27, 2009, Daraine Luton, Sunday Gleaner, The Jamaica Gleaner.

This particular lecturer has even gone as far as publishing a body of work which she claims as proving that there is “no statistical correlation between youth consumption of Dancehall music and violence”, despite her research work having:

1. Too small a sample size of only three hundred (300) persons to represent her target population
2. Not covering every school in Jamaica
3. Being myopic in her focusing on young people in the 15-24 year-olds in Kingston, St Andrew, St Catherine and Clarendon between June and August this year

Her study’ time period was a very short period of time for a study and not taking precautionary safeguards to ensure that the participants were in fact telling the truth and not merely viewing the questionnaires as a form of social control being imposed on them by adults. My article entitled “Response to Research conducted by Dr. Donna Hope-Marquis” neatly summarizes my opposition to her arguments.

The majority of well thinking Jamaicans outside of the privileged halls of the University of the West Indies most likely has ignored her research, citing the obvious “Gaza-Gully” conflict which contradicts this view as per my blog article entitled “Response to the research of Dr. Donna hope Marquis”.

Music CD’s as Self-Promotion – Financial Starvation abroad as Musicians getting banned

In fact, it would seem to be more a form of  “self-promotion” as stated by Mikey Barnett, veteran producer, also at the same Gleaner Editors' Forum, by foreign trained academia or “new PhD’s”, who on arriving in Jamaica, in a hurry to get known quickly, “support a cause that the grass-roots people in Jamaica, which are the majority, are associated with, and that was Dancehall music" to quote Mikey Bennett.

This sentiment was also echoed by Dr St Aubyn Bartlett, Member of Parliament for Eastern St Andrew, who in responding in Parliament recently to comments made by Cordel Green, Executive Director of the Broadcasting Commission, who told the Human Resources and Social Development Committee of Parliament of the strides being made by the Broadcasting Commission in media education literacy.

Dr St Aubyn Bartlett stated that “When a professor from the university backs the Gaza and Gully and the Dancehall tradition in some of the wickedest lyrics that come out of it, you know, you hear at the corner from the professor or from the university man, dem like it, so a must something good”.

Thus one comes to the conclusion that The Gleaner Editors' Forum was a most revealing exercise, as it sought to cover most of the bases in the entertainment industry, particularly the problems affecting the Dancehall Artiste in 2009.

With much tougher legislation before Parliament to extend the powers of the Broadcasting Commission even into private spaces, Dancehalls and other private venues such as hotels as well as to extend bans enforced on these Dancehall Artiste set by foreign countries as it relates to the collection of taxes and fines for Dancehall Artiste who run afoul of the law.

The repercussions will still be felt among the Dancehall Artiste in 2010 and for a long time to come, as if the Dancehall Artiste do not clean up their act and their behavior both on and off stage as well as in their lyrical content, they will most certainly face financial starvation in 2010 and beyond.

This as their last stable sources of revenue in foreign countries are slowly closing their ports of entry to them after years of warning them to cease and desist from the usage of expletives, sexually explicit and violent content and run-ins with the law.

Recommendation for Increased Fines - Respect Rules and Regulations for Public airplay

I would hereby recommend that the Government of Jamaica, as a means of forcing compliance with the Rules and Regulations laid down by the Broadcasting Commission as well as raising much needed revenue to support any shortfall in Government of Jamaica tax revenue, begin the process of not only registering the Dancehall and other Artiste but also imposing heavy fines and taxing their income from all their sources of income.

Stage shows, Radio and video airplay, sponsorships, corporate endorsement deals, businesses, publications, and other sources of income, both documented and undocumented, with fines for non-compliance and back taxes owed to the Government of Jamaica.

The fine should be increased as high as JA$10,000.00 for the of usage of expletives, sexually explicit and violent content and performing bans for a period not exceeding one (1) year if caught breaking the law with fines of JA$1,000,000.00 in order to have the ban lifted and to be allowed to perform again.

Additionally heavier fines of up to JA$100,000 per offence can be imposed on promoters, sound system operators and private and public individuals who play music in the public space and continue to break the Noise Abatement Act and the 2:00 am curfew, with a performing bans for a period not exceeding one (1) year if caught breaking the law with fines of JA$1,000,000.00 in order to have the ban lifted and to be allowed to perform again.

These fines and bans, if imposed, would serve the dual purpose of not only raising much needed tax revenue for the Government of Jamaica but would also force compliance with respect to Rules and Regulations as it relates to airplay and public performances set by the Broadcasting Commission.

How can one extradition be worth the Jamaica-US relationship?

I would first like to debunk the story “Dudus Bugged”, published Sunday 7th March 2010, Cover Story, The Herald which states that there is an “intelligence network” headquartered in Kingston, which is completely false.

There are no spies in Jamaica that intercept mobile, landline, fixed line or data call transactions on any networks without the prior knowledge of the respective Telecoms Providers. Worse, there would be no need to, as any such mobile unencrypted (yes, there are mobile apps that can be installed on smart phones that can encrypt phone calls!) calls on the Big Three mobile networks in Jamaica i.e. Digicel, CLARO and LIME are easily interceptable.

This is provided you have the right gear or equipment or you had recently acquired the A5/1 or A5/3 codebook from a Telecoms Provider employee and utilized the Open Source Solution.

This is now available online thanks to the research done by German security expert Karsten Nohl who had indicated at a Hackers convention press conference in Germany that he had decrypted the A5/1 codebook, which uses a 64-bit encryption key, as stated in the article “Q&A: Researchers Karsten Nohl on Mobile eavesdropping”, author Elinor Mills, CNET News.

For the layperson, this means that conversations on Telecoms Providers networks that still use the A5/1 codebook (hint: Digicel??) are not only interceptable but decodable. It is thus being hoped that local Telecoms companies have upgraded to the more secure A5/3 codebook, which Dr. Karsten Kohl, who holds a PhD in computer engineering from the University of Virginia, has yet to decrypt…….at least for now.

Apparently these spies are fictional characters that the Herald wishes to write in a book on the obviously stalled extradition of Tivoli strongman Chritopher “Dudus” Coke, as there is no proof offered or sources and their names mentioned.

But this issue and its larger possible implication as it relates to the security of data and conversations on our Telecoms Provider’s Networks aside, I segway to what I really am gunning. This is the legality of the Prime Minister making what seems a declaration that the extradition of Christopher “Dudus” Coke cannot proceed as the State Department of the United States of America obtained their information illegally.

This, John Public surmises, is really a matter for the Courts, as Dr. Peter Phillips, spokesperson on National Security points out in Parliament, his point of view being upheld by another PNP backbencher Abe Dabdoub. He stated that the Prime Minister had usurped his role as part of the Executive by making presumptions of judgment when legal matters were solely the prevue and prerogative of the Judiciary.

Please remember that not only did these statements get published in all three (3) Newspapers, it was also the prime news for a few days in the past week by the Broadcasters Television and radio Stations.

Their News reports are broadcast on the Internet on a Web TV channel, effectively the entire world, thus ruffling the feathers of the United States of America.

Although not a major trading partner with regards to exports, we do import a lot of their goods, have diplomatic relations with the USA in the form of ambassadors, consulates and embassies. We also get financial assistance from NGO and US multilaterals such as USAID and the IMF (the USA is a major contributor to their lending pool)

Most importantly, we have a working Extradition Treaty, formerly known as the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, which is a joint Jamaica-USA agreement. This allows the extradition of citizens from either country who are suspected of committing crimes in the other’s jurisdiction or aiding criminal activity in the other’s country. This is a Treaty to which the Government of Jamaica is signatory and signed of its own free will without coercion.

This extradition does not specify the time frame within which the extradition request has to be honored, but nonetheless it must occur within what is referred to as a “reasonable” timeframe.

Also, there is a judicial process that must be undertaken by the courts which has not been allowed to proceed, as Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, Minister of Justice, has had the Ministry of Justice itself peruse the request by the United States of America for “Dudus” extradition.  Senator Dorothy Lightbourne  then declared it as containing inadequate evidence and grounds upon which to extradite the alleged drug kingpin, when in fact this is a decision for the courts to decide and not the Ministry of Justice.

To add further injury to insult to the Common Sense view of John Public, one would think that since we entered into a Extradition Treaty, it would also make provisions as to what would be regarded as admissible evidence as opined in the editorial “Stop the posturing and do what is right”, published Sunday 7th March 2010, Sunday Herald Editorial, Sunday Herald.

Apparently the Prime Minister, in acting as a lawyer (which he is not), has made the point that the evidence is illegally obtained. But the evidence used to establish the prima facie case against Christopher “Dudus” Coke was obtained after the United States of America State Department had granted a warrant to the relevant investigative authority (DEA perhaps?).

They conducted the wiretap (which by the way includes conversations or data transmissions over a wireless network) which was done from the American side of the telecommunications link or on American soil e.g. the United States of America Embassy or Consulate offices, which are technically America Soil.

So the DEA tapped the conversations of the persons with whom Christopher “Dudus” Coke was passing information or had information passed to him concerning narcotics related matters currently under investigation prior to the wiretap requests.

It can confirmed by the United States of America State Department that they do indeed have sworn testimonies from the persons involved in those conversations that the person with whom they were conversing is indeed Christopher “Dudus” Coke.

Thus the extradition request from the United States is not only legally binding, but it can stand the test of the Jamaica equivalent of the Extradition Court, which would have legal oversight into issues relating to extradition requests. This should be the reasoning, instead of as Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, Minister of Justice declaring flatly that she would not sign the request for the extradition of Christopher “Dudus” Coke.

Indeed, it is possibly this knowledge of the procedures that may have made the United States of America State Department in the recently published International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, make it known that the actions of the Government of Jamaica “called into question Kingston’s commitment to the law enforcement cooperation with the US”.

We already have gotten ourselves in trouble with our Central Latin American [Caribbean], American and British authorities with regards to our Jamaica nationals, who, even when they do visit or have never visited the respective countries mentioned have a propensity to incite the worst in the citizenry of those respective countries.

Especially as it relates to the sale of narcotics and even our anti-gay hate lyrics in dancehall music by virtue of their connections to known criminal underworld figures in the respective countries.

This was brought into sharp focus when Mark Myrie, otherwise knows by his nom de guerre as Buju Banton, was held by Federal Agents on charges of dealing in and attempting to smuggle cocaine as stated in the article “Not and Easy Road – Buju Banton held for cocaine possession in the United States”, published Sunday, December 13, 2009, by Livern Barrett, Gleaner Writer, The Sunday Gleaner,

Britain, the Cayman Islands and many of Eastern Caribbean countries have been forced by it respective citizenry to enact a Visa requirement and stricter screening of Jamaican citizens in a bid to keep the criminal activity out of their countries.

It does not help that Jamaica is a known transshipment point for cocaine from Latin America, specifically Colombia and a major producer and supplier of cannabis sativa (Marijuana) to the United States of America. It is definitely not helping the situation when it is known to all dry and sundry, inclusive of the learned John Public that the Government of Jamaica.

Worse with a JLP led Government of Jamaica who has a Prime Minister, Senator Bruce Golding appearing to defend a wanted criminal and strongman who literally controls the Tivoli Gardens area, which just happens to be his constituency.

Jamaica’s weakness in tackling crime and passing anti-crime legislation that could make fingerprints, forensic evidence and the admission of electronic recordings i.e. still photographs, video or audio, be they digital or analog at the time of recording the offence.

Making amendments to Acts as it relates to Corruption (both State and Civil), amendment of laws as it relates to fines and sentences for certain criminal acts, and the retraining of the police as it relates their sensitization to the various laws of the State as well as non-lethal means of subduing suspects.

Most importantly the passing of the Charter of Right and Freedoms, which would lay out clearly the Rights and Freedoms of both Citizens and non-Citizens in Jamaica!

These deficiencies in Jamaica law are all too well known to the United States of America Justice and State Departments, and even the EU, who have begged and pleaded with the previous successive Governments to enact in order to better deal with crime within their country.

Could it really be that the Prime Minister, Bruce Golding uncooperative stance is concern over losing voter support from his constituents in this well-known garrison in the upcoming General Elections in the next two and a half (2 ½ ) years?

Or is it that he is trying to stamp out (or stall, perhaps?) the lit fuse leading to a bigger powder ked, that of the Jamaica Labour Party’s involvement and possibly financial or other support and acceptance of financial or other support from the criminal underworld that exist in these garrison areas?

Such information would expose the Prime Minister and the JLP members as aiding and abetting the crime problem in Jamaica, which would explain in some part their reluctance in enacting the above legislation key to fighting Crime.

If this is the case, then we’re in for an even more longer ride with the Government of Jamaica in a soap opera John Public would like to call “As the Government Turns”, as it appears in protecting their proverbial posteriors (can I use the word “asses” or does the Newspaper censors not allow it?) they are willing to accept any and all political fallouts.

The Prime Minister Bruce Golding has sounded out this viewpoint clearly in Parliament by stating that - and these are his words - “if I have to pay a political price for, then I will”. Already, there is a strong feeling in the court of public opinion, presided over by John Public that the tardiness of the United States of America in appointing a US Ambassador since the end of the tour of duty of Barbera LaGrange in 2009.

The most recent diplomatic soundings of the United States of America in canceling the visas of Mr. Wayne Chen, Director of the UDC (Urban Development Corporation) who I might add was treated as any ordinary Jamaica would be when their visa has expired naturally.

This despite the protestations of Mr. Michael Spence in the opinion piece “Visa Revocation”, published Sunday 7th March 2010, The Sunday Herald and the alleged seizure of Green Cards by the Department of Homeland security in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida of as yet undisclosed prominent Jamaicans on Monday 1st March 2010.

Possibly, these may be somehow related to the ongoing extradition saga being played out almost every month in the Newspapers and on the Broadcast Television and Radio Stations since it first broke light in 2009.

But worse is yet to come, as the United States of America State Department has an even more daunting arsenal of weapons such as embassy and ambassador revocations, blocking the importation of technology transfers to Jamaica.

This widens the investigation to include the Government of Jamaica by declaring them also criminals by virtue of aiding and abetting a known wanted suspect in a narcotics investigation and blocking of international aid and loans from EU, NGO and Multilateral lending agencies.

Especially in light of not only the lack of effort by the Government of Jamaica to enact the aforementioned legislation to tackle crime and corruption but also their failure to enact the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in its presently amended form. This would have guaranteed the rights and freedoms of all Jamaican Citizens regardless of race, colour, class, creed, religion or sexual orientation.

What is even worse, is than not only is Jamaica’s reputation being dragged about and our dirty laundry aired to a foreign press that mostly sensationalizes bad press and ignores the good that is coming out of Jamaica, we can also face possible sanctions from the EU, if the USA suddenly decides that the process has exceeded a year.

Hopefully the Government of Jamaica should come to its senses and realize that its posturing using rights and due diligence as it relates to one of its citizens makes it look as if is hiding something.

The more the United States of America State Department patience wears thin, the more likely that after a year would have passed since the extradition request, they may even begin taking other action not mentioned in this letter that will instead be aimed at the citizens of Jamaica, the Jamaican electorate.

Apparently Prime Minister, Bruce Golding is more concerned about holding on to his political post than giving up a wanted man who controls his constituency. This despite his back being against the wall and having no other options but to allow the Courts to proceed with assessing the legality of the extradition request! Their actions ensure compliance with our Extradition Treaty with the intention to extradite Christopher “Dudus” Coke to face drug charges in the United States of America.

The sands of time have been set as it is now a question all of Jamaica and yours truly, the learned John Public, must be asking, as did David Rowe, a Jamaican borne lawyer residing in Ft. Lauderdale Florida: “How can one extradition be worth the Jamaica-US relationship?”

Unhealthy Eating Tax a benefit to the Government Purse and the Public Waistline

“The total economic burden (of lifestyle diseases) is in the region of $1.6 billion for diabetes and from hypertension $1.2 billion” is a chilling statistic mentioned by Chief Medical Officer, Dr Sheila Campbell-Forrester in 2009 at the Pegasus Hotel to an attentive audience, as stated by the article “Fat Jamaica worries health officials” published Friday August 28, 2009, Sophia Hanniford-Bartley and Gareth Manning, The Daily Gleaner.

The report further goes on to state statistics (an article of great interest to read!) that indicates that the consumption of very little fruits and vegetables and too much fatty and salty foods and not enough exercise by Jamaicans in a sample study group of 10-15 year olds and 15-19 year olds was contributing to the increased levels of obesity and hence non-communicable diseases related to obesity, such as hypertension and diabetes are responsible for 60% of deaths island wide.

But is there something the Government of Jamaica can do about it? Amusingly there is, and the idea has an unlikely connection to the Government: Taxing High Fat and Sugary Junk Foods, effectively an Unhealthy Lifestyle Tax.

According to the article, “Junk food tax could help fight obesity”, published October 24 2010, The University of Buffalo the United States of America has a similar problem, with around a third of twenty (20) year old adults and nearly one in five (1 in 5) US kids in the age group six (6) to nineteen (19) being obese according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

A study recently published in the this weeks Psychology Science periodical conducted at The University of Buffalo in New York by lead researcher Dr. Leonard Epstein, a psychologist (why it couldn’t be a sociologist?) attempted to demonstrate this concept. His team of researchers set up a controlled experiment in which forty-two (42) test shoppers were given US$22 to purchase food, ranging from bananas to colas and cookies represented by images in isles.

They then varied the prices of the foods in a manner to allow the test shopper to see if their choices of food purchases would change, price variance being implemented along the lines of junk food versus health food, the junk foods being defined as “high-calorie, low nutrient foods” and health foods being defined as food that “deliver more nutrients for fewer calories”.

The results returned from this social experiment (hence why I ask, where is the sociologist in this research study?) had even me amazed! Initially, all the prices were set at the same pricing level as in a local supermarket, to create a statistical baseline for comparison, effectively a control in the experiment, as with similar prices the test shoppers would have similar purchasing habits as in a regular local supermarket.

Then the prices were varied a follows: hiking the prices on junk foods and lowering (subsidizing) the prices on health foods, the price moved in such a manner as to encourage more purchase of the other food upon which no price increase or “sin tax”, as it is referred to, is placed. It turns out that subsidizing the price of health food, and thus making junk food look more expensive did not result in an increase in the purchase of health foods, as the shoppers opted to purchase the junk food, irregardless.

However, it turns out that adding additional price increases on junk foods resulted in a cutback in the buying habits of the test shoppers, with a 10% tax resulting in a 14.4% less junk food being purchased overall, or as the researchers stated “that meant their week’s shopping contained 6.5% fewer calories”. A similar study can be done here by the Government of Jamaica by Senator Rudyard Spencer, Minister of Health & Environment in collaboration with the University of the West Indies.

If the results are replicable, then the Senator Rudyard Spencer, Ministry of Health & Environment can recommend to Senator Audley Shaw Minister of Finance that the unhealthy lifestyle of Jamaicans can be used as a source of inelastic taxable revenue, called a Unhealthy Lifestyle Tax as the taxes on junk foods or “high-calorie, low nutrient foods” e.g. KFC, Burger King, Juici Beef Patties, Mothers, Island Grill, Tastee, etc. are not only a means of increasing the taxable revenues of the Government of Jamaica

It can also be a means of aiding the Faith-based evangelism of healthy lifestyles being promoted by Chief Medical Officer, Dr Sheila Campbell-Forrester, as according to her “the total economic burden (of lifestyle diseases) is in the region of $1.6 billion for diabetes and from hypertension $1.2 billion”, an indicating that the decision to tax junk food would not only reduce this cost to the Ministry of Health (and by extension the Jamaican Economy).

Like traffic vehicle fines issued under the Road and Traffic Act, can work to dissuade people from this practice and encourage them to eat more healthy food and thus reduce the levels of  obesity in our young people aged 10-15 year olds and 15-19 years and the associated risk factors for hypertension and diabetes and it contribution to deaths in the Jamaican Society, the ultimate goal achieved by this recommended novel form of taxation, a Unhealthy Lifestyle Tax!

Here’s to healthy eating!

Funding Haiti reconstruction is the responsibility of the French, as it is their “property”

The people of Haiti are finally free, and best of all the French will have to pay for the rebuilding of Haiti, with CARICOM getting the bulk of this money to rebuild Haiti, as slyly alluded by the article “That US21b debt to Haiti”, published Sunday January 21 2010, by Peta-Anna Baker, The Sunday Gleaner.

More earthquakes are coming, as most of the Caribbean, Latin America and California lies on a series of interconnected fault lines. But it gets stranger from this point on, as all is not as it seems. There is a strong, albeit overlooked possibility that the earthquakes were deliberately created to place Haiti in a position to receive debt forgiveness.

The patterns of the earthquakes seem similar to that of those that occurred in 2004 in Sumatra, near Banda Aceh, a name which literally means “port”.

The earthquake signatures of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Haiti on Tuesday 12^th January 2010 at 4:53 pm have a huge aperiodic spike just before the initial stable periodic pattern, indicating a steady oscillation typical of a normal earthquake, suggesting that the earthquake were deliberately triggered by a powerful undersea force of a man made nature.

This can be easily achieved via a device planted on the seafloor that produces high powered pulses of microwaves that pump directly down into the earth, causing the earth to resonate, much in the same way loud music from a sound system can make the windows of your house rattle, a practical example of resonance.

The energy output of the device, which I call a Microwave Resonance Generator, would have to be almost 1000 Megawatt or one (1) terawatt, so it can only be fired once, and thus would have to be nuclear powered, possibly using a nuclear submarine as the power source. In short, the earthquake in Haiti may have been weapons test for Project Sleeping Beauty, related to HAARP (High Frequency Altitude Auroral Research Project).

HAARP is a military installation funded by the Department of Energy and run by the United States Military.

It is located in northern Alaska that has an array of antennas designed to basically fire a narrow beam of microwave radiation at energy levels exceeding one (1) terawatt with the intention to lift a portion of the ionosphere into Outer Space, thus creating a plasma shield that could destroy missiles in their trajectories, jam communications and alter the weather, its current main civilian purpose.

I know this as when I was and Electronics and Telecommunications engineering student at UTECH between the years 1997 to 2000, a lot of my foreign contacts on the online were college students who worked on Project HAARP as the Government of the United States of America recruits engineering and physicists to work on these Projects in the summer periods and as part of their Masters or PhD work.

For reference, you can talk to former United States of America Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld, as well former CIA Director William Henry Gates who served under the George W. Bush Administration and are no longer under executive orders and can give details on these and other related projects.

Such as Project Super Excalibur, a Space based laser that eventually became a plan for an orbital solar power station to beam power as microwaves down to Californian as stated in the article “California gives green light for Space-based solar” published December 3, 2009 2:03 PM PST by Martin LaMonica, CNET News.

Project Sleeping Beauty, upon which the existence of the Microwave Resonance Generator device is predicated, built with patents from Dr. Bernard Eastland, Plasma Physicist and originally based on work by Nikola Tesla, the father of Modern Research into Radio Wave Applications and after who the Tesla Coil is named.

Project Super Excalibur is also related to a US based military contractor named Raytheon, but this cannot be substantiated at the time of writing this letter.

Despite what many may think of my ramblings about USA military projects, no matter which way ones spins it, Haiti benefits.

Their country destroyed, France, to whom they had already paid US$21 billion in money owed for loss of property in the Haitian Revolution almost 200 years ago, is now liable

This as France still claims to, in the words of former French Presidents Francois Mitterand, Jaques Chirac and now current French President Nicholas Sarkozy, to “have an interest in Haiti”, mainly due to the fact that there are living descendants of the planters who had originally borrowed money from the Bankers in France and England to finance their plantations and slaves.

Thus France had not only cancelled her EU 58 million (US$ 84 million), but she has urged other members of the Paris Club, mostly wealthy billionaires, industrialists and bankers, to cancel Haiti debts (loans) as stated in the article “France to Cancel Haitian Debt”, published January 17 2010, Associated Press, , The Sunday Gleaner.

Jamaica benefits, as the USA under the auspices of the United States of America Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton has put Jamaica and CARICOM in charge of rebuilding Haiti. This means billions of dollars will be made available over the next fifteen (15) years for rebuilding Haiti.

France is obligates to pay, as according to the original contract that the Haitian freedom fighters Desallines, Boukman and Toussaint le Overture had signed with the French and English nearly 200 years ago, Haiti had to pay for French loss of property (slaves, land, plantation, etc).

But according to the contract (and any contract for that matter!!), Haiti would be considered eligible unless an “Act of God” i.e. major hurricane, earthquake, disease outbreak that killed a majority of Haiti population and destroyed their ability to repay.

Thus the earthquake ironically fits the bill.

Even more poetic justice, for those in John Public with an eye for historical firsts, is that thanks to France and other leading world powers insistence over the years that the French planters via the French Government, who represented the bankers in France and England, were owed money for the loss of their property, the French will now have to pay back the US21 billion dollars to fund the rebuilding of Haiti.

John Bertrand de Aristide was, despite his past stripes and dictatorial style, was indeed correct, as Peta- Anna Baker, Coordinator of the Social Work Programme at the University of the West Indies has suggested in her article mentioned above.

With former PNP Prime Minister Percival James Patterson being put in charge of the CARICOM committee charged with rebuilding Haiti by the Prime Minister Bruce Golding and ODPEM coordinating the relief effort, all with the blessing of United States of America Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton

It is expected that when the CARICOM nations are finished with their planning, a very large contingent of contractors from the CARICOM member states (inclusive of Jamaica) will be getting contracts to do the massive undertaking of not only rebuilding the earthquake damaged sections of the island but also rebuilding the entire country.

Thus opportunities exist for not only Jamaica Contractors but also for Jamaican businesses and Telecoms Providers, as currently Digicel is the only Telecoms Provider in Haiti.

Thus, Haiti is a financial windfall for CARICOM to be rebuilt with the money that the Haiti had paid over to France  - which France is legally obligated, by contract to pay back in order to fix their now damaged “property”.

Vive la Haiti