Bonaire Infrastructure, Dutch Government Expansion, Cruise Ship Petty Theft
Adam Curry reports from Bonaire, noting significant changes since the Dutch government designated the island as a province in January 2011. The local government workforce has expanded to 600 employees for 15,000 inhabitants, while property taxes have tripled. Despite a 28-million-euro EU grant for sewer and fiber infrastructure, residents remain unconnected due to high individual hookup costs and a lack of an external internet service provider. Local frustration is rising over cruise ship passengers who allegedly shoplift souvenirs without spending money at local businesses.
bonaire· netherlands antilles· dutch government· infrastructure· fiber optics· cruise ships· hugo chavez
00:00 As everyone knows on these Live shows I have to, I can't hit record and I can't do transferring and editing so they get the little pre stream that goes with it Okay. I think we've tried Hello? Yeah, yeah. Yeah another little piece of paper Alright, hit it. Adam Curry, John C. DeVore It's Sunday January 22nd 2012 time for your Gidwet Nation Media Assassination episode 376 This is no agenda Tracking the elites even when on vacation here in the divers paradise of Bonaire The Netherlands Antilles just 60 clicks north of Hugo Chavez presidential studios In the morning everybody I'm the original prepper known as Adam Curry
00:56 And from Northern Silicon Valley where I can hear every other word there, from the old Bon Air. I'm John C. DeVore. It's Crackpot and Buzzkill! You don't need more than any of- every other word that's enough that's fine well you're right about that Did you tweet? did you let everyone know we were on air? That we are live? That we are doing something here No, would you please do that? That's kind of I do that as we go along the kind of critical in the morning John from The tropical island known as bonair. It's raining here. Yeah, it's gonna rain here later too. It's been
01:35 Sorry? So in the morning to you and in the morning all ships at sea which may be running into your island, boots on the ground which maybe invading your island and feet in the air. Actually the ships and the boot go hand-in-hand as military cruisers patrolling the island here for those of you who don't know where this is we were here actually was August 2010 last time we're in Bonaire Miss Mickey and I had a nice invitation from Lex Luthor and the Iranian princess to come and visit, stay here. These houses are all wide open so I'm actually out in the open. They're having lunch they don't care about the show you can hear them in the background but also here I am actually looking out over
02:22 Over the water here you can hear the birds there's some parrots who might perk up in a minute But most importantly the wind is blowing quite heavily and we'll probably see some rain before the end of the show but anyway Nice to see everyone in the chat room. They're no agenda stream calm Noah Jenna chat net Thank y'all very much for showing up showing your love Are you doing your taxes? I'm typing up your Twitter thing you want me to do okay, and Yeah, so it's actually interesting. We were here about a year and half ago. Has the place changed? Yes! The place has changed.
03:04 2011, January 1st 2011 the Dutch government basically turned this place into a province or something. And so now in an island of 15000 inhabitants they have 600 government workers now living here. Hello? I lost what you said. I heard it was Dutch inhabitants and there was nothing No, I said in an island of 15,000 inhabitants they have 600 government workers now here all flowing in from the Netherlands and all running the show And it's running great
03:43 Except for the web connection. Well, here's the thing so first of all taxes have tripled in property they now have new property taxes so everyone is paying three times as much in property taxes but they've dug up the entire island to connect fiber and a sewer system which is now being put in but will never be connected What? Yeah. So here's how it works, well because the government... Now check this out The European Union gave the island of Bonaire 28 million euros to upgrade their infrastructure so some contractor you know got the contract and he is putting in sewer pipes and he is putting in the fiber but if anyone wants to connect to the sewer system or the fiber they have to pay for that themselves Huh
04:40 So has anyone paid for it? No, of course not. No one's gonna do that They use their septic tanks You know they poop in the ocean and why would anyone pay for a fiber connection when you've got this great connection already Well I think if i was there right hooked to that fiber be I'd be all me But you also have to connect it somewhere else. See the fiber is just in the ground here, it's not connected to anything outside of the island. Oh there's no head end? No! There's no internet service provider. Just fiber... Yeah exactly! It takes a lot more than just dropping
05:18 Fiber and the dirt and thinking that's gonna do something. It's not magic well Yeah, that's the whole point but yeah But luckily there's 600 government workers here to oversee the festivities and all as well, but that's not the real issue There's two problems that have really cropped up here one is they now have cruise ships docking every single day which really of course ruins everything because These cream I'm on the inside track here all everyone hates it because the people who come off the cruise ship are All they do is they just come on land, you know. They don't eat anything in the restaurants because they get the free food on the ship and they don't buy anything! They go into shops and steal stuff! Ah... Yeah! What did they steal? You know souvenirs! They're like doing flash mobs! Like hey this is a very nice shop but then they don't buy anything. They just steal stuff. They slip it into their pocket and get onto the ship and they are gone
06:16 But the real issue. So you're saying that the people who take these cruise ships are all a bunch of petty thieves? Yes, A-holes! Total douchebags! But the worst thing is we have not seen Hugo Chavez's home brewed beer polar beer in about four weeks shipments have stopped so now there is a real panic This is fascinating So really, but it's I'm just trying to say the same thing. Yeah, I'm just hoping you have something some good anecdote well Let me this isn't a side. I want to I wanted I said this sick Situation on Twitter. I just put the Twitter thing up so he should have at least two more people listening Okay, so I go there's you know it says similar too and it recommends that you go
