We're going backwards

As of Saturday, July 6, 2019

EDITOR, The Tribune

I am writing from Mangrove Cay, Andros, where I have lived for the last 15 years. Clearly, we are going backwards, and I think this can be said for The Bahamas, in general.

I have just returned home from the NIB office to pay my NIB contribution. We have two days a week when the office is open. The door was locked. No sign on the door. Nothing. It is an eight mile round trip to get there for me. I came home and went online to file a complaint with NIB. Here is an excerpt from their website, today May 23, 2019.

“PUBLIC NOTICE – Continued Service Level Disruptions and NIB Offices Closure. The National Insurance board wishes to advise the public that service levels will be further impacted today throughout New Providence and the Family Islands due to significant staff absences. ... Family Island offices will also be impacted and further updates on and pension payments will be made throughout the day.”

My guess is that not more than two persons on Mangrove Cay are aware of this notice.

I left there and went to pay my BPL electric bill. A sign on the door said, “So sorry. Be back shortly.” This, after having visited this office three different times this week, only to be told that the “system is down” and she couldn’t even accept my cash payment. Again, an eight-mile round trip to get there for me.

I then stopped by Bank of Bahamas, where we also have two day a week service. It was pure mayhem. A few dozen people crowded into the small room, waiting. The senior citizen line, one of only two lines in total, was packed full of people. I am guessing the wait will be two or three hours to get served, as it often is for we customers. This has been going on for years now, with no improvement in sight. I suppose we should be thanking God that we even have a bank here, hey?

Last week, BTC completely crashed here on Mangrove Cay. No internet, or cell phone service. Perhaps 1 call out of 20 would go through. People were telling me they were trying to call me, but the call went straight to voicemail. I have at least seven years of documented complaints to BTC about their terrible service, all the while BTC managers continue to lie to us and tell us it will be getting better “this” month. This has gone on for years now, and BTC continues to collect “in full” for service they have not provided. They have lied to us for years, the managers telling us we would get a mass refund, and that service would improve. It has not improved. We have received no refunds, or credit, or apologies. This is fraud by any standards. Not a peep from BTC upper management or URCA on this matter. BTC has failed us. URCA has failed us. BTC, as it presently exists, should not be given the luxury of making money in The Bahamas. They have failed us.

It is beyond belief that in 2019 we are still suffering such indignities as these. The losses in time, productivity and direct monetary costs are huge, almost to the point of being incalculable. The closures of business, the loss of employee productivity, the costs of additional transportation, the cost to management are off the chain.

We have a useless MP, Mr Picewell Forbes, who only visits the island for a photo opportunity or some silly awards banquet. Our community here would be much better served by being allowed to have his generous salary and ample expense and office funds to be put to use directly on community projects, instead of going into his pocket. Someone recently put a “Wanted – Missing Person” poster up, with his name on it, as a joke. But, it was no joke to those of us suffering under his poor, non-existent so-called “representation”. I can not find one person on this island who is satisfied with his performance. Not one.

Our clinic is in a state of unfinished shambles. The clinic is presently being operated in a dismal building not even fit for a dirty restroom. We have no doctor. The nurses are despondent about this situation, after having been promised a renovated clinic, years ago now. Years ago. Unacceptable and disgraceful.

For more than 15 years we have been promised to be a Port of Entry. When the FNM was elected we were told to “forget about that.”

Our community dock is a disgrace, turning to mud in a light rain. The channel used by our mailboats is not navigable at low tide.

Our schools have broken windows, little maintenance and are always short of funding.

The police do not have a police car. They use their own vehicles to get around the island.

We have no ambulance, no fire engine, no morgue. Nothing.

Our water pipes are bursting on a weekly basis.

Many of us here are taking the initiative to do our best to improve Mangrove Cay. However, there is little doubt that the government of The Bahamas has completely, unequivocally failed us here.

Without even a modicum of investment in our island, how do Minnis and the other government officials expect for us to do better? How do they expect us to develop our economy, encourage more tourists to come, develop industries, get our young people back home? Under these conditions, it is nearly impossible.

The problem, it seems, is that Bahamians have gotten so used to their terrible treatment at the hands of their own government that they have lost the will and the energy to fight back. Political victimisation has also helped create this situation of national helplessness.

Is this really the best we can do?

NORMAN TRABULSY Jr

Mangrove Cay, Andros

May 23, 2019

Dawes 4 years, 11 months ago

There is of course one issue that the letter writer is not mentioning. All the services they are saying should happen have to be massively subsidised by tax payers in Nassau. We in Nassau spend a fortune to put all these departments in the family islands with very little to show for it. Yes the above problems shouldn't happen but at the end of the day for the Government to do it all correctly on every family island would take a massive increase in taxes (even if they were able to get rid of all the corruption). This is one of the biggest probelms facing us, how to provide the proper level of service into every island, even if it is only for 100 people.

Porcupine 4 years, 11 months ago

Bullshit Dawes. The amount of taxes paid on the Family Islands do not come back. The Bahamian government has placed the cost of running the government on the backs of the working people. Taxes could be increased for those rich people who pay no taxes, yet still enjoy all of the luxuries of this country. Corruption? Nassau's inefficiencies, theft and corruption are part of Bahamian culture. Nassau can't even claim to be a civilized, decent city. Truth be told, it is likely that the Family Islands contribute more to the running of Nassau, than the other way around. If you think Nassau is a decent place, something is wrong with your head. Either drinking too much Rubis tainted water, too much smog, or spending too much time in the web shops. Try leaving your doors open at night in Nassau. Sorry Dawes, Nassau isn't fit for a dog.

sheeprunner12 4 years, 11 months ago

Norman Trabulsy aka Porcupine ........ All Out Islanders agree with you!!!!!!

Dawes 4 years, 11 months ago

True Nassau is not a great place. But that doesn't remove the fact that Nassau subsidies the Family Islands. BPL is sold under cost in family islands, why? Because Nassau Subsidies them. Water and Sewerage the same. Roads the same. Basically everything is the same. There are only a few islands that can say they may contribute to the treasury and not take (mainly to the North).

realitycheck242 4 years, 11 months ago

You have described the myriad of problems thats taking place daily in south andros and most family islands in the Bahamas. No dought these problems are only a tip of the iceberg. South Andros has been cursed under the PLP for over 25 years while Sir LOP was prime minister so it does not surprise me that the present opposition MP is so worthless as he is trying to survive himself personally and his hands are tied.Where slackness thrives in a community the mindset of the people become complacent. .Third world mentality.

sheeprunner12 4 years, 11 months ago

Well ............ Norman Trabulsey (if he is a Bahamian) should get up off his ass, start campaigning and seek to make a political difference in 2022 ......... I agree with him that Perswell is a POS, but the stupid Androsians have voted for him for 15 years ...... What does that make them????????? ............ What if the other Forbes guy had been elected in 2016???

professionalbahamian 4 years, 11 months ago

No one ever seems to calculate the actual $ losses to the economy due to lack of infrastructure. I hear the Exumas has worse cell service now too. One missed call for a tourism related activity for example could mean a loss of thousands of dollars...That said, it would really be productive if every outisland had a measure of what taxes they pay in as a total amount - why can't this be quantified every six months. Every island could be stewards of most of their tax dollars and thus benefit, borrow, expand, improve, and know where they are heading.

DDK 4 years, 11 months ago

IT'S THE PEOPLE'S TIME, DIDN'TCHA KNOW?

jus2cents 4 years, 11 months ago

I feel so sorry for the forgotten people in the family islands, Long Island is the same.

If more Governmental needs were on-line a lot of these problems would be a non issue.

Also, if all government services were centralized on family islands it wouldn't cost a fortune for the Gov to implement local hubs. Lower staff = less costs.

Why can't a Post Office be a place where you are able to pay all your utilities and government bills, have a health clinic, buy groceries and local produce, collect your pensions, a hub for all the community, much like Post Offices in the more remote places in the UK, you can even buy lottery tickets, gifts, alcohol, dog licence, bakery, literally everything in one place! Have a room where satellite services can be carried out, i.e. a vet three times a month or any other services that aren't needed weekly. The possibilities are endless and it would make the family islands a more desirable place for people who to want to relocate!
MP, Mr Picewell Forbes should resign.

sheeprunner12 4 years, 11 months ago

Because our Bahamian (black) Governments for the past 50 years have had NO vision for the Out Islands .......... Each island needs ONE Government hub for services.

Porcupine 4 years, 11 months ago

Excellent suggestions jus2cents. If anyone in power is listening.

Sickened 4 years, 11 months ago

What the government needs to do is to hire more intelligent, hard working people to work at all of these government offices. The problem is that we have filled our government offices with lazy, entitled, I wanna strike workers who like to suck teeth if you are now in a rush after waiting in line for 2 hours.

Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 11 months ago

Picewell Forbes is all blubber and no brain. The people of South Andros will never see any improvement in the quality of their lives as long as they keep electing parliamentarians like him.

New Providence is over crowded and our governments should focus their attention on developing and maintaining a suitable infrastructure for the following seven islands only: New Providence, Grand Bahamas, Abaco, Andros, Exuma (main island only), Eleuthera (including Spanish Wells and Harbour Island) and Long Island.

Private developers wanting to put developments of any kind on the other islands should be tasked with putting in and maintaining at their own costs whatever infrastructure is needed to support the development and its employees.

The Tribune