The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

ALLAN Cochorane, a noted British Social Economist, once wrote: “One measure of the success of the welfare system in any country is the extent to which it is able to maintain acceptable standards of living for its citizens.

“Whatever else welfare is about, one might reasonably expect the reduction of poverty for the most vulnerable of a country’s population to be a high priority.”

Here in The Bahamas we all acknowledge the existence of poverty but very few of us have ever sat down to determine the real causes much less to seek viable solutions to its reduction where possible and it is eventual eradication.

Successive governments come and they go. One politician pontificates about wiping the tears away from every eye while another bemoans the fact that too few Bahamians have B$1,000 or more in his/her savings account.

As a trained economist with a degree from Walbrooke College in the UK and as a community activist, I have long been interested in the so-called “problem” of poverty and its societal ramifications.

The vast majority of our inner city populations in New Providence and Grand Bahama are living in squalor and overt inhumane conditions. 

The question is: Who is to be blamed? Do we blame those who live in those conditions; the social engineers; the politicians across the board, or other community partners and agents? While we have sought to ascribe the blame game, I submit that levels of poverty and the decimation of what was once known as the middle class, go on unabated.

Statistics have revealed that some 15 per cent of the working population in New Providence is unemployed or under employed. Over in Grand Bahama it has been estimated that almost 25 per cent of workers are not able to access jobs or obtain viable and sustainable employment.

As a direct result of the above scenario we now have elevated levels of poverty and low income earners. This translates into massive societal discontentment and animosity toward the top 5 per cent of our population that appears to be doing well. Well has it been said: “The poor are always with you....”

I propose that the Christie administration introduce comprehensive educational policies to assist in lifting the mental attitudes and expectations of our school aged children and those adults who may wish to attend evening and weekend classes. Not everyone will want to or could attend college. Those with hands on capabilities must be offered realistic vocational courses that they could then utilise to earn a decent wage or to set up their own businesses.

The civil service is top heavy and precious few new jobs can or should be generated by the central government. The unfortunate situation, on the ground, is that during the general election campaign, many of the candidates, if not all of them, promised supporters and campaign personnel “government” jobs if elected.

The PLP with 29 elected members of Parliament will be hard pressed to avoid their bogus promises of government jobs without creating a deadly political backlash. Unemployed people, especially those who would have been so for quite some time will exact the big payback from many of our erstwhile politicians during the next general elections if they continue to languish in a harsh job market.

Poverty will never be eradicated but it can certainly be reduced to the reducible minimum. The much touted Urban Renewal Campaign means well and it may well succeed. Until it does, however, the mind set of many of those who find themselves in poverty must be re-engineered. 

This is not an open ended criticism of those persons but after living in poverty for their lifetime and probably that of their parents and grandparents it may well be impossible to think and act outside of the proverbial box. They may have been so conditioned that they may see nothing wrong with their economic and environmental status.

What is poverty in pure and simple language? It may seem obvious until one actually asks that question. Once we do, it becomes difficult not to recognise that we often have inconsistent ideas about it collectively. Whatever the case, it is also obvious that there are no absolutes. So where do we go from here?

As suggested above, re-education; job and vocational training skills are some of the possible solutions. The removal of substandard housing and the cleaning up of the environment are also important. These exercises must, however, be non partisan and, of course, sustainable and maintainable over the long haul by successive governments.

I am the first to concede that there is a stark difference in the societal attitudes of the FNM and the PLP. The former seems to promote self help while the latter seems to support a form of governmental welfare and a hand out. It would seem that a mix of the two may be more practical and affordable. To God then, Who has cattle on a thousand hills, in all things, be the glory.

ORTLAND H

BODIE Jr

Nassau,

June 17, 2012.