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Friday, May 9, 2008
Youngsters demonstrate brotherly love
The entire student body of the Lucayan International School (LIS) should be commended for their awesome donation to the Grand Bahama Children's Home on Wednesday.
After holding a fun/run event in April, the school used the proceeds to present the Home with a whopping $11,105.76, which is by far one of the largest amounts of money given to the organization by a school. READ MOREDissatisfaction with Christie
There apparently continues to be widespread dissatisfaction within the opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) over Perry Christie's decision to continue as leader of the party going into the next general election.
That's certainly the conclusion to be drawn from an article published in the Wednesday, May 7, edition of The Tribune, which claimed that several possible candidates for the PLP in the 2012 general election say they will opt not to run if Christie is the leader. READ MORECan we grow rice?
A ccording to Agriculture Minister Larry Cartwright, The Bahamas may soon have to start producing its own rice in order to meet the demands of its citizens. This amazing realization comes at a time when many countries around the world are concerned about the exorbitant prices being requested for food and fuel. The rising price in fuel is due to the substantial increase in the price of crude oil on the international market, which has now exceeded an unprecedented $120 per barrel. Now local gas prices have risen beyond the $5 per gallon mark with some local economists sensing that the increase could possibly reach as high as $8 per gallon.
A recent Central Bank report states that high prices continue to dominate the country's domestic economic landscape as the average consumer prices rose by 2.37 percent during the 12-month period ending March 2008, which is up from the 2.29 percent recorded last year. For a nation like The Bahamas which imports most of its food supply, there can be disastrous consequences if the current global 'food crisis' is heightened. Therefore, when you seriously think about this, Minister Cartwright is alerting the Bahamian people about a very good alternative that allows us to feed ourselves, independent of the United States and other countries we rely on for food. READ MOREGood year ahead?
Whether or not the 3.8 percent increase in overall tourist arrivals for the first two months of 2008 is an indication that this may be a good year touristically for The Bahamas remains to be seen, but it is nonetheless reason to be optimistic that the economic problems presently being experienced by the United States may not have as drastic an impact on the lifeblood of The Bahamas' economy as some people involved in the tourism industry feared.
That fear was based on the belief that those Americans with disposable incomes who like to travel would be more frugal with their funds as the U.S. – from where the vast majority of visitors to The Bahamas come from – struggles to rebound from its current economic woes. What the increase in visitor arrivals for January and February suggests, however, is that Americans still consider The Bahamas to be a bargain vacation destination that's foreign and nearby. READ MORETime will tell
Now that one year has passed since the hotly contested May 2007 General Election, many Bahamians are expressing how they feel about the performance of the present Free National Movement government thus far. While the opinion of each person is important, it must be considered that one year is too short a time for most things to be accomplished, especially work that involves the proper governance of a sovereign nation.
As some praise the marvellous efforts of a committed FNM government, others have gone so far as to give the leaders an 'F' for failure in carrying out their duties. In a country that is built on democracy and the freedom of speech, these different views are considered proper and define the way of life that so many of our forefathers have strived for, but at the same time each Bahamian must be aware that anything good with lasting or wholesome effects will take time and must not be rushed. It is so ironic now that the same individuals who are expecting so much out of the present FNM government are the same who said the PLP government should not be rushed for making serious decisions. The truth is what any Bahamian government is capable of, cannot be measured in one year. This is so because the goals which any particular administration hopes to achieve – when considering the impact it will have on the lives of the Bahamian people – have to be done READ MOREThe termination of Plakaris
Whatever the circumstances are surrounding the fact that Stephen Plakaris is no longer deputy director of school security in Grand Bahama, the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture did not handle this particular issue as well as it should have.
At the very least, it appears as if Plakaris' termination was directly linked to his highly publicized one-man demonstration outside the government complex demanding that he be paid money owed to him since January of this year. If this is a case of bad public relations and the facts are not what they appear to be, the ministry must make public its side of the story. READ MOREEmpowering our youth
For the majority of youth in the country, finding employment is often viewed as a great challenge, especially if they were unable to attain any job-related skills prior to graduating from high school. Despite the negative behavior of some young people over the years, there are many who want to make a difference by contributing their talents and time to ensure the economic success of this unique Bahamaland.
Such young people have from time to time been encouraged by government to seek ways of fulfilling their dreams. They have also been inspired by concerned mentors, educators and religious leaders to never give up, but to pursue wholesome endeavors that will enable them to become the productive citizens they were meant to be. READ MORERules of engagement
The tragic death of Hubert Winters, the 63-year-old taxi driver who was killed during a robbery at a Subway restaurant in New Providence last Saturday, has raised questions about the rules of engagement for police officers who are present while a crime is being committed.
Surely, the pain that is being experienced by the Winters family on losing their loved one must have been made more excruciating by the circumstances that led to him being shot. By all accounts, Winters was a hardworking taxi driver, who apparently had started work a 5 o' clock that morning, based on his wife's claim that she last saw him at that time when he left home. That afternoon, he stopped at Subway in Palmdale to get something to eat, and was standing in line to be served when a robber came in brandishing a submachine gun. READ MOREDecision time for BOA members
Could the feud over the leadership of the Bahamas Olympic Association (BOA) tarnish that organization's image in international sporting circles?
That likelihood certainly is inherent in a letter circulated over the weekend by Sir Arlington Butler, the long-time president of the BOA, who is locked in an acrimonious dispute with newly elected officers of the BOA. The letter is a follow-up to another letter e-mailed by Sir Arlington to members of the BOA shortly after he returned from a meeting in Beijing, China, claiming that Mario Vazquez Rana, President of the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO), had advised that "an assembly to elect the new executive" for the BOA be held on May 8, at the Nassau Yacht Club. READ MORENeymour deserves a knighthood
As one of the 14 individuals who will be inducted into the Grand Bahama Sports Hall of Fame, at a formal awards banquet at the Westin at Our Lucaya on May 17, Basil Neymour is being honored primarily for his contributions to track and field.
That's no doubt because he has been an outstanding contributor to this sport over the years and indeed has his own track club, Neymour Athletics. But the committee responsible for recommending him for this honor actually had multiple choices on which to base their decision, each of which qualified him for elevation to the GB Sports Hall of Fame. READ MOREWorthwhile suggestions
Back in January of 2001, the Institute for Economic Freedom (IEF) - a New Providence-based economic think tank - revealed that since 1992 (up to that time) the Government of The Bahamas had spent over $480 million on education. Despite this fact, even back then, the mean grade average for our public schools was a 'D.' Some seven years later, this is still the case.
Clearly, this suggests that there is a need for serious consideration to be given to introducing some new approaches to imparting education to the youth of this nation. The IEF made some very worthwhile suggestions in 2001 that are deserving of consideration. Included among them were: READ MOREAn acrimonious battle
Rank-and-file members of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) should demand that the leaders of their union either settle their differences and get on with doing the job they were elected to do, or request that the Department of Labour conduct new elections to put in place an administration that would place the welfare of the union's members above their personal feud.
Actually, it may be too late for the acrimonious battle that has erupted between the top executives of the union and eight members of the union's executive council to be resolved amicably, therefore holding new elections may now be the only alternative. READ MOREThe property tax myth
In his 2006 Audit Report on government accounts, the Auditor General has reported, among other things, that more than $400 million in property taxes remain outstanding; that figure includes surcharges on unpaid taxes since the act was brought into force in 1974. It means, therefore, that for more than three decades, the government's accounting system has being accruing charges on some outstanding balances, balances that have not presumably been paid, despite the fact that a number of amnesty periods had been offered from time to time over the last several years. It is therefore wishful thinking at best to speculate as to what health, education or social services the government could have performed if it had collected such a large sum; most of it is uncollectible for reasons stated below.
Many of those outstanding balances represent family homes valued below the existing exemption threshold of $250,000. That category of outstanding taxes represents a substantial voting bloc, one who's presumed political influence is so enormous, that successive governments have shied away from giving the green light to the Real Property Tax Department to vigorously pursue them in order to collect. Indeed, any serious effort to collect real property taxes must involve using the punitive provisions of the act, which would permit the government to place the homes or properties on the market, so that the tax obligation could be met from the proceeds of the sale. Up to now, no government seemed prepared to take the political risk to sell the homes of Bahamians from under them, in order to collect outstanding taxes. And indeed, that policy stance by the government is intuitively correct in a small developing country. Given those circumstances and over thirty years of "looking the other way", the time is long past for the government to acknowledge that it has no appetite for imposing the draconian provisions of the Real Property Tax Act and accordingly, will not collect the majority of the taxes owed to it, particularly by low and middle income families. If a debt is deemed to be uncollectible, then the prudent course of action is to write that debt off and not continue to carry mythological amounts in the accounts. READ MOREStrong-arm tactics?
The Bahamas Christian Council and its Grand Bahama counterpart have set themselves up as the arbiters of morality in this country, an authority their members have bequeathed to themselves because of their positions as religious leaders in their communities.
They have become so powerful that whenever they are opposed to something, if it requires government approval, those who govern the affairs of this country become paralyzed with fear of incurring the wrath of these "men of God". As a result, whatever plans the government might have to move forward with are shelved. We have seen this happen on more than one occasion, with efforts to legalize a lottery and the numbers game in The READ MOREWhy all the silence?
The government cannot continue to remain silent on the issue of whether or not it owns 7.5 percent of the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA).
Somehow, someone in government must tell the Bahamian people if Minster of State for Finance Zhivargo Laing was correct when he said recently that it is his understanding that those shares have been disposed of. READ MOREThe crime war
As The Bahamas prepares to celebrate 35 years as a sovereign nation, it does so in the midst of an ongoing war in which its citizens are plagued daily by criminal activities, perpetrated by individuals who seek to cause chaos and degradation.
At times it seems as if the criminal element of our society is winning the war, as with every story that appears in the daily newspapers, on radio and television, the very young and old are dying needlessly by the hands of those who have no regard for human life. READ MOREA vexing problem
The disgraceful manner in which Deputy Director of School Security Stephen Plakaris has been treated in his attempt to receive payments due to him since January strongly suggests that there is a deeply-rooted problem in the ministry, when it comes to making payments to some of its personnel.
There can be absolutely no excuse for Plakaris, who has been on the job for several years, to be forced to resort to staging a one-man demonstration outside the Office of the Prime Minister. He wanted to draw attention to his plight of not having been paid money due to him, after apparently not receiving any response to telephone and written inquiries as to why his salary was stopped. READ MOREAre asues safe?
For as many years that can be remembered, Bahamians have been 'throwing' asues. Some claim their experiences have been good, with others declaring horror stories of how they were duped by certain asue holders, who refused to give them their money when it was time for them to get a 'draw.'
Despite its negative reports, asues have also been the source of great wealth for numerous citizens, who depend on them to achieve certain financial goals. One may even argue that the number of bad stories told about asues amount to the same as those told about the good. Nevertheless, one thing is certain, there exists a notable apprehension by most to join one. READ MOREWell said, chairman Wright
Road Traffic Authority Chairman Kendal Wright is very much up front when it comes to pointing out the many improper and dangerous habits of jitney drivers.
Wright made some frank comments directed at the drivers and bus owners, during a special meeting recently at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs Gymnasium. On the occasion, Wright, Road Traffic Director Jack Thompson and Minister of Transport Earl Deveaux engaged scores of drivers, owners and operators. Drivers had a lot to say as a mutual 100-day challenge to transform and revitalize the industry was accepted by all. READ MOREWho is watching the environment?
Lately, we have seen a number of reports regarding the local environment being under assault by both foreigners and locals. Indeed, it gives the impression that there is now a new awakening and unless we take heed, a great calamity will fall upon us and in one sweep, our beaches, our wetlands, our water fields and our natural shrubbery will disappear overnight. The most recent report, published in the local press and accompanied by a set of impressive photographs, focuses on the development of or the supposedly destructive environmental activity in the Sandyport area.
The Sandyport development has been around for many years and its impact on the immediate environs were clearly visible to even the most causal observer. Beginning with the re-routing of a portion of West Bay Street to create an overpass (boastfully called the Sandyport Bridge); the erection of an attractive wall along what some argue is a public beach; the filling in of acres of marshlands, once the breeding grounds for marine life, to make land available for what is probably one of the more densely populated areas in New Providence. Where were the environmental watchers (public or private) when all of this was going on? READ MOREA legitimate cause for concern
Generally, according to the Department of Social Services, the total reported cases of child abuse overall represented a reduction in 2007 as compared to 2006. Nevertheless, the Minister of State for Social Development Loretta Butler-Turner is concerned. We say rightly so.
The minister is not satisfied with the numbers game because fundamentally the acts of abuse against children, and anybody for that matter, are abhorrent, repugnant. As the good book says, "pity the little children." READ MOREA way to address school violence
The recent violent clashes among students on two high school campuses in New Providence have reignited calls for a return to the policy of having police stationed on the grounds of public high schools, as was the case prior to the current Free National Movement government returning to power in May of 2002.
We fully supported the change of policy by the FNM government when it was announced, and still do, for the very same reasons that we noted back then, which includes our conviction that uniformed police presence on school campuses creates an atmosphere that is not conducive to leaning. READ MOREDo we or don't we own shares?
In an address to the Rotary Club of Lucaya in Grand Bahama several weeks ago, Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce President Gregory Moss claimed the government continues to have a 7.5 percent interest in the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA).
This report has been in circulation for years, and if it is indeed true, then the question that demands an immediate answer is: Why is it that a representative of The Bahamas government is not at the bargaining table protecting the interest of the Bahamian people in discussions related to the sale of the GBPA? READ MORECycles of Cable Beach
There was a severe global recession following the first Arab/Israeli conflict in the middle-east in the early 1970s which initiated, among other things, the formation of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) which resulted in dramatic increases in oil prices from about $3 to $10 to $30 per barrel of oil. Those events were partly responsible for a global recession and more than a decade of hyper-inflation around the world.
Economic dislocations were severe and widespread; output decreased, unemployment rose, capital investments shrunk and business closures were common everywhere, even here in The Bahamas. READ MORE
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