Thanks a lot, Newsletter! - Spanish shun Jamaica

[Don1]

They are the ones violating the laws here, nobody else is.

No one else that has been brought to light!!!
This is Jamaica you know.

[Muadib]

Where has dis breddah been the last 5 months ??

People a complain seh tuh much light a shine in the new dispensation !

LOL !

[Assasin]

That is not true, there was a big fuss about the other spanish hotel in Runaway Bay about a year ago about them following procedure and it was suspected that people was bribed. Nothing was done about it and now it is said that fieces is in the sea in the are(I can't confirm if it or not but other hoteliers are complaining) Butch has no hotel in Runaway Bay.

Here is a little piece from the Gleaner
Then, there was the shocking story that Spanish investors were thinking of pulling out of Jamaica because of the "investor climate". Simply put, because our planning officials did not allow a Spanish hotel to barricade our airport, thus attempting to prevent our very own accidental twin towers incident, these investors are throwing a full-blown tantrum. I am not in the slightest bit concerned about this. I suspect that the Spanish will soon appreciate that regulations are the friends of investors, and that might well be what protects them, or maybe they'll just buy a newspaper that works too! I have no time!

back to my thoughts
The fact is most Jamaican hoteliers try to be enviromental friendly and I can guess that many other local hoteliers also support Butch on this call, only that they don't have such a big mouth and a newspaper. Hotels like Halfmoon, etc. have done a lot to be green and enviromental friendly and after you do this you see foriegner come in a breaking all the rules and possible passing bribes?

[Don1]

Suh the forged approval just made itself (in Spanish to boot)?

Come on man, where there is smoke there is fire and I am advocating exactly what you said, instead of the slow fade away of the issue that normally happens.

While I dont know and hold not brief for Butch, I have to ask what these Spaniards are bringing to the table. Are they in Jamaica as opportunists going after the US market that others have developed (with a slide in sidewaysa and pick another man's corn) or are they helping to develop the nascent EUROPEAN market where the real future (and strong Euro) is?

I see no reason to bend to cater to the Spaniards if they dont bring much added value to our economy. Are they parasitical or entreprenurial?

I have no special knowledge of the approval issue but I believe the the Sandals Newsletter claimed that the revised building plans were in Spanish. I believe the approval was done by that gentleman Tubal Brown and carried a parish council stamp of approval... the plan was in Spanish but the approval Jamaican and apparently unauthorized.

The nature of capitalism is opportunistic.. that goes for Stewart as well as the Spanish and everyone in between.

The US market does not belong to any local group .... we operate an open economy with liberalized trade... competition is inevitable... Stewart has to get used to the fact that he is no longer the only game in town.
Sandals or any other local or foreign company operating in Jamaica cannot claim hegemony over any market..... that notion must be firmly rejected!

The taxpayers of the country have long subsidized hotel operators in Jamaica viz - Air Jamaica, JTB marketing, tax concessions etc ... so even from a moral standpoint no market should be considered the preserve of any particular hotel group.
Jamaican firms alone cannot generate the capital or management necessary to grow the industry as is required... hence foreigners are invited.

Yes they MUST abide by our laws and yes they must be encouraged to develop the European and other markets. The playing field must also be level and transparent.
However capitalists will always go after the low hanging fruit (the US in this case) ... unless there is incentive to do otherwise.... in the case of Europe the main issue is lack of airlift and then market awareness of the product... they need to coordinate that effort with JTB.... that's a job unfortunately the GOJ may have to lead.

The Spanish are both parasitical and entrepreneurial.... as is Stewart.... both need to be curbed of excesses.

[Don1]

That is not true, there was a big fuss about the other spanish hotel in Runaway Bay about a year ago about them following procedure and it was suspected that people was bribed. Nothing was done about it and now it is said that fieces is in the sea in the are(I can't confirm if it or not but other hoteliers are complaining) Butch has no hotel in Runaway Bay.

Here is a little piece from the Gleaner
Then, there was the shocking story that Spanish investors were thinking of pulling out of Jamaica because of the "investor climate". Simply put, because our planning officials did not allow a Spanish hotel to barricade our airport, thus attempting to prevent our very own accidental twin towers incident, these investors are throwing a full-blown tantrum. I am not in the slightest bit concerned about this. I suspect that the Spanish will soon appreciate that regulations are the friends of investors, and that might well be what protects them, or maybe they'll just buy a newspaper that works too! I have no time!

back to my thoughts
The fact is most Jamaican hoteliers try to be enviromental friendly and I can guess that many other local hoteliers also support Butch on this call, only that they don't have such a big mouth and a newspaper. Hotels like Halfmoon, etc. have done a lot to be green and enviromental friendly and after you do this you see foriegner come in a breaking all the rules and possible passing bribes?

Suffice it to say that building violations abound among Jamaican hotels... as they do in other areas of construction.
This is Jamaica.

[Muadib]

Mek Butch try build a Sandals and interfere with Airport... unnuh woulda volunteer fi carry di rope..

"6 Runs ! Tony, I don't believe they are going to find that ball.."

[Assasin]

Good you say this. It is not a level playing field when one is breaking the enviromental rule. What some of us are saying come in and obey the laws and everything is ok. The law is made to protect jamaicans and the investors. Other investors local and foriegn has been there for a long time living with these rule so come in behave yuself. Imagine if all the hoteliers are allowed to break the laws and nobody say anything.

[Muadib]

Yuh still feel yuh under PNP management...

Course change... try and grasp that basic concept.

[Willi]

The nature of capitalism is opportunistic.. that goes for Stewart as well as the Spanish and everyone in between.

The US market does not belong to any local group .... we operate an open economy with liberalized trade... competition is inevitable... Stewart has to get used to the fact that he is no longer the only game in town.
Sandals or any other local or foreign company operating in Jamaica cannot claim hegemony over any market..... that notion must be firmly rejected!

The taxpayers of the country have long subsidized hotel operators in Jamaica viz Air Jamaica, JTB marketing, tax concessions etc ... so even from a moral standpoint no market should be considered the preserve of any particular hotel group.
Jamaican firms alone cannot generate the capital or management necessary to grow the industry as is required... hence foreigners are invited.

Yes they MUST abide by our laws and yes they must be encouraged to develop the European and other markets. The playing field must also be level and transparent.
However capitalists will always go after the low hanging fruit (the US in this case) ... unless there is incentive to do otherwise.... in the case of Europe the main issue is lack of airlift and then market awareness of the product... they need to coordinate that effort with JTB.... that's a job unfortunately the GOJ may have to lead.

The Spanish are both parasitical and entrepreneurial.... as is Stewart.... both need to be curbed of excesses.

Ahem,

How many Jamaican owned Hotels you see in Spain? How many with the opportunity to violate their laws?

Yuh mussi think seh everything open and there is no protectionism. Get real.
The ongly way Yardie going to break into the mkt in Europe is thru the bcak door in a small fry venture. If you try eat the local food, dem crush yuh. Dont tell me you byt the globallist bull-manure.

[Don1]

Good you say this. It is not a level playing field when one is breaking the enviromental rule. What some of us are saying come in and obey the laws and everything is ok. The law is made to protect jamaicans and the investors. Other investors local and foriegn has been there for a long time living with these rule so come in behave yuself. Imagine if all the hoteliers are allowed to break the laws and nobody say anything.

I really don't get it with you.

Why the preaching to me about observing the laws? .... I have been saying that all along.
Would appreciate you pointing out where I have said that laws are not to be observed by the Spanish. If you can't point to that... leggo di laws must be observed routine.... since it's also my position.

[Don1]

Ahem,

How many Jamaican owned Hotels you see in Spain? How many with the opportunity to violate their laws?

Yuh mussi think seh everything open and there is no protectionism. Get real.
The ongly way Yardie going to break into the mkt in Europe is thru the bcak door in a small fry venture. If you try eat the local food, dem crush yuh. Dont tell me you byt the globallist bull-manure.

You misunderstand... Spain is Spain and Jamaica is Jamaica.

I said Jamaica operates an open economy... it's immaterial to this discussion, the particular model of Spain's economy. So the presence or absence of Jamaican hotels there is of no consequence.... zero.

By developing the Eurozone market I'm referring to getting tourists in big numbers from Europe.... not to establishing Jamaican owned hotels there ...the Dominican Republic for example gets most of its tourists out of Europe... there may be lessons to be learned there.

[Mosiah]

If Sandals had someone poking over their fence with a pair of binoculars...

[Assasin]

my thing is if they didn't Butch couldn't have done what he did. The subject would be mute.

By breaking the law they way they did give Butch and his paper all the voice he needed. The fact is the spanish are not playing by the rules most other investors are played by.

[Assasin]

Did you read what these people did in Cancun? isn't that a warning?
Should we allow this happen in Jamaica regardless of what they are investing?

[Don1]

my thing is if they didn't Butch couldn't have done what he did. The subject would be mute.

By breaking the law they way they did give Butch and his paper all the voice he needed. The fact is the spanish are not playing by the rules most other investors are played by.

You keep saying "the Spanish". You believe there is a generalized campaign by (sic) the Spanish, to break Jamaican laws??

Please don't cite just a couple of breaches.... I said "generalized campaign by THE SPANISH"