The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

In response to Labour Minister Shane Gibson’s ranting and threats to expose those former and current Opposition Members who are tax delinquent.

Please be assured, Minister, that the public would not be shocked to learn how many politicians, Opposition and government, are in arrears.

However, this issue is not about partisan politics or one-upmanship, this is about everyday citizens and taxpayers, payers being the operative word, being forced to pay more and higher taxes because of decades of the slackness of successive governments, both PLP and FNM, in not collecting their due, enforcing the law and rooting out corruption and cronyism.

Despite his assertion that “being broke is not a sin,” countless numbers of Bahamians of far less means than Mr Gibson and those he now seeks to defend have sacrificed plenty to pay their taxes over the difficult years to which he refers, and being broke is not unique to politicians of either party or their cronies.

So swing the axe with a will Minister Gibson and let the chips fall where they may, and while you’re at it don’t forget the Public Disclosure Act as we, the also broke but paying public, would like to know how many of you are delinquent in that respect also.

IAN MABON

Nassau,

February 26, 2014.