The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

State of emergency in Dominica our sister CARICOM country, following the devastation caused by the tropical storm Erika, surely does not require our Foreign Affairs Minister to fly from Nassau to Dominica, to evaluate what possible aid The Bahamas could give?

Surely an offer of monetary aid would have resolved the issue, following a couple of telephone conversations and possibly e-mails? Why are we trying to behave as if we are a major donor country, when we are not?

One must ask: What is the cost of the Minister of Foreign Affairs visit?

We seem to take for granted that the Minister travels so much, that he is not accountable either in what was achieved, or the cost of this travel, bearing in mind Ministers travel FIRST CLASS.

September, if the Minister does not understand, is the height of the threats that will come from Atlantic Hurricane season – we certainly cannot spare anyone from anywhere. In fact last week a storm ironically named “Fred”, dispersed in the middle Atlantic not threatening anyone – let’s hope this continues.

During “Erika” I tried to get on Bahamas Met. Office’s web site...still trying as it is obviously a total sham and has been such for years. Wake up Minister of Transport as like the Postal Service, they are incredibly unacceptable.

We seemingly cannot afford keeping our beaches clean of cigarette butts - litter and all those ugly billboards, but Ministers can travel globally and no one seems to care.

May I suggest that Government will co-ordinate with the churches, which probably by now will be organising Sunday collections, to assist their various denominations in Dominica and put perhaps a $1m donation from the people as a whole.

No travel – no unnecessary expenses and no Facebook instagram coverage, for the good Minister’s obvious, to be announced soon party political position campaign.

W. THOMPSON,

Nassau,

September 7, 2015.