By CHARLES C ROLLE
FOR too long, I have sat on the sidelines hoping that honest politicians, pastors, lawyers or other leaders of our country would speak up concerning the disastrous trajectory our country continues to spiral on.
As a people, we selected the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government who made abundant, yet empty promises concerning jobs, crime, high cost of living, exorbitant taxes. Sadly, this government has failed us miserably!
Bahamians, it’s truly time for us to awake out of our deep slumber and move towards change. We are blessed with so many citizens who qualify to enact change, yet we are sitting on the dock and just watching the ship roll by – our nation rolling into an abyss.
Every idea put forth and implemented by this government to better this country turns out to be a disaster, one that creates an abundance of problems versus solutions.
For example, gambling – Government says that the licensing of gambling rooms would assist to defray our debts. This is false. The truth is that although the Bahamian people overwhelming voted no at the referendum, the government ignored our voices and did what they wanted to do.
Now, on our small island, just about every street corner and every alley there is a gambling room or two littering the landscape. The people are worse off than ever before, as loss of income and savings are dumped into these edifices that are staged so that the house wins 99 per cent of the time.
Seemingly harmless to many, this gambling has unwittingly undermined the financial structure of Bahamian homes and families. Government, this remains to be an absolute poor decision you have forced on the people.
Another idea that has implemented into hardship for many is Value Added Tax (VAT). This government says that VAT is the answer to take care or ameliorate the national debt. I agree that there is nothing wrong with paying VAT. We, the people, should pay government something to assist with our debt but, my God, the decision of the amount of the tax is highly questionable and contentious.
There are thousands who live off their meagre pensions. Their small pension is not adequate to pay the hefty 7.5 per cent on every item, such as medication, cooking gas, car parts, grocery, water, soft drinks, home tax, property tax, etc.
Government, where is your compassion and support of the people? Have some compassion on these nation builders. Someone in the party should have a heart and consider seriously this burden on the people. The people are crying out, and the weight is just too much.
Another issue that continues to drive its poisonous peg further into the heart of the Bahamas is Carnival. This government strongly believes that Carnival will assist with reduction of our nation’s debts. The government has chosen to adopt another country’s culture that creates much division and contention within the Bahamas.
It is amazing that while Parliament was discussing initiating Carnival in the House, the decision had long been decided, exemplified by the bold advertisement on the already published 2015 telephone directory.
Carnival is a huge waste of $10m to this country. The profit does not lend to the constructive building and meeting of the needs of the people, including creating sustainable programmes for our young Bahamians who are out of school or those young men and women who are incarcerated.
Carnival’s home is in Trinidad, Barbados and Brazil, not The Bahamas! We already have our own - it is called Junkanoo, one of the best and enjoyable festivals to experience. Just ask the world.
At what costs will the government sell The Bahamas for?
Another idea that promises a disastrous outcome is drilling of our land and sea to seek oil. In the 1900s lack of knowledge cost many black nations their birthright; the right to maintain its natural beauty and sustainability for its upcoming generations.
Today, we see and understand the devastating irreplaceable and irretrievable drilling disasters can have on a land. We need only to remember the BP oil spill that continues to have lingering affects on the Gulf coast, including its sea life, sea beds, corals and fishing industry.
Let us not set ourselves up for our land to be continuously raped and ravaged for the sake of money that never seems to fix what the government has indicated it was to fix. Instead of the abundance, the people are only left with crumbs to share among many. Remember Jack Cousteau, remember the salt in Inagua, remember our land; land in other black nations has been ravaged. I totally disapprove drilling for oil of any part of this beautiful land of ours.
One politician in the PLP government said that when we find oil we will have a referendum. How stupid must he believe we are – reverse psychology it seems he plays with – if one discovers oil then holds a referendum for a vote. The people will say yes.
Again, no regard for the voice of the people. It is time and it is urgent that we must put our people first, and leave a land and a legacy for our children’s’ children and their children’s children. I urge the PLP government to resoundingly say no to a decision to drill.
Finally, but not exhaustively, another vice that continues to choke the life of our country is the lack of creativity for jobs. One of the PLP ministers said that $88,000 was not sufficient or satisfactory for him. His decision would be to leave that post.
Well, brother minister, be careful of the words you allow to flow across your lips, for once words come out of your mouth you cannot take them back. Believe it or not, there are thousands of Bahamians who would climb Mt Everest for a small percentage of $88,000.
But due to the lack of jobs, men and women have resorted to stealing in order to feed and clothe and provide shelter for their children. This government has promised jobs upon jobs. But let us be very honest – there are little to no jobs being created and sustained.
What makes this dilemma even more grievous is these same jobless people have to pay VAT also. Think Mr Politician/Minister, when this man cannot provide for his wife, his children, nor have sufficient food nor money to hush the cries and nags of one’s family, this man is in a serious and desperate position. Without hope, the next plausible step for him may be robbing, stealing and murder because there are no jobs, no hope, no future and no help.
Mr Government, you are raising everything. Why not take some of the VAT money, be creative and provide jobs or a space for persons to create jobs as businessmen/women.
My concerns are numerous, but my recommendations to the government are simple. Vacate the following positions and allow a new mind, heart and vision to fulfil the mandate of a government to care for its people today and always. My suggestion is simple:
These positions should be vacated
Minister of Tourism
Minister of Finance
Minister of immigration
Minister of National Insurance
Minister of Social Services
Minister of Agricultural and Local Government
Minister of Works
Attorney General
Minister of National Security
The Prime Minister
The simple reason for this simple solution? Simply for the love of pour beautiful Bahamaland.
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