Wednesday, December 16, 2015
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Cabinet minister George Smith was yesterday empathetic toward the circumstances surrounding State Minister for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez’s resignation from Cabinet, but stressed that politicians should not be motivated by money.
He insisted that the salary of a minister was not intended to supplement private income but to serve Bahamians who need representation in the House of Assembly.
And if an member of Parliament is only motivated by how much money will be earned, Mr Smith said the best decision would be to leave politics because it requires great sacrifice that only people who are devoted to public service will understand.
It was revealed this week that Mr Gomez, the Central and South Eleuthera MP, had tendered his resignation from Cabinet. Prime Minister Perry Christie has said the departure was due to financial reasons.
When asked on Monday if the country should be worried about the stability of his government in the wake of the news, Mr Christie quipped: “Do I look unhappy?”
“Do they look unhappy,” he asked, referring to the Cabinet ministers flanking him, during a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister.
Yesterday Mr Gomez said he has enjoyed public service and “remains available to serve.”
When contacted for his views, Mr Smith said he wishes Mr Gomez well.
“I am not going to speculate too much about it but it is my hope he prospers,” he added.
“However I will say that politics is a service. If you are motivated by how much money you are going to get out of it you really shouldn’t go into it.
“Indeed, back in my time the small salaries were for the devoted people. It was an indication of the level of service to the Bahamian people.
“It s simple, we’ve just got to stop talking about the salaries of politicians.”
He continued: “The House of Assembly salary is paid to you so you can use it to service the people. It is not intended to supplement your private income.
“There is prestige that comes with being a Cabinet minister but there is a sacrifice for that as well.”
Mr Smith is a former PLP representative for Exuma.
On Monday Mr Gomez said he still supports the prime minister and plans to seek a nomination to run on the PLP’s ticket in the 2017 election.
He is the second Cabinet minister to resign this term, following the departure of former Minister of Financial Services Ryan Pinder who quit his post last December to take up a senior executive job at Deltec Bank & Trust.
On Monday Mr Christie suggested that the move was understandable. He said for 30 years MPs have not received a pay increase despite making “incredible sacrifices” to carry out their responsibilities.
Mr Christie said he believed MPs were deserving of pay increases but added that officials were hesitant to face the issue for fear voters would not accept it.
Mr Gomez was paid $60,000 per year for his junior Cabinet post, with an additional $28,000 for being a member of Parliament.
A decision has not yet been made on who will take on Mr Gomez’s portfolio, Mr Christie said on Monday.
Comments
Chucky says...
A fools thought, name one politician that isn't in it for the money, perhaps not the salary, but definitely the money they can send their own direction via crooked contracts to their own companies, and the money they can direct to their friends companies to get kickbacks from them.
Posted 16 December 2015, 11:01 a.m. Suggest removal
digimagination says...
Exactly. Why else would they be in the game if it were not for the money?
Posted 16 December 2015, 11:33 a.m. Suggest removal
asiseeit says...
The man was making 88 thousand a year, that is a substantial amount for 99% of Bahamians. If these politicians want more of OUR money they should be prepared to be under a whole lot more scrutiny and oversight as to their funds and where they come from. Discloser laws are on the books but these crooked set ignore and flaunt their own laws, this is exactly why the Bahamas is so lawless!
Posted 16 December 2015, 11:46 a.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
Agreed ............. because they have little checks and balances to deal with public finances/contracts, the MPs use their positions to have access to the Purse .......................... he may not be making much on the table, but there are lots of benefits with a Cabinet position
Posted 16 December 2015, 12:22 p.m. Suggest removal
Chucky says...
I don't hold any faith in disclosure laws; these are present most developed countries and the same things go on everywhere.
The whole purpose of corporations is to hide identity and limit liabilities for shareholders. These politicians are at the top of the food chain. They can, and do exploit every possible means of obtaining and hiding illegal proceeds extracted from their positions of power.
They can hide money offshore, in IBCs. These IBCs, who nobody will ever know about, much less be able to find out who the beneficial shareholders are. And in addition to this, these politicians all end up getting directorships on the boards of companies after they retire, then , they can "legitimize" their kickbacks through fat and underserved salaries they collect for the rest of their lives. There are many ways of hiding their ill gotten gains.
There is likely no way to stop the thieving !
Posted 16 December 2015, 12:33 p.m. Suggest removal
jackbnimble says...
Glad to see Mr. Gomez cleared the air and gave the real reason. He has a reputation to uphold and I'm sure he wouldn't want the record to reflect that he left because of the so-called pittance of a salary he was receiving as an MP AND Cabinet Minister. Service above self. Wish more persons would go into government for that instead of high salaries and kickbacks.
Posted 16 December 2015, 1:05 p.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
Sooooooo, how much Minion Gomez declared when he ran in 2012?? How much was he making as a lawyer ......... $28,000 x 10??????
Posted 16 December 2015, 7:34 p.m. Suggest removal
Fitmiss says...
I really resent the expression "He/ she is only in it for the money". Pardon me but who here would perform their job for free? Technically we are all in it for the money, especially when you have to repay college and university loans. Yes it would help to actually like your job and be a consummate professional, but come on. The mortgage, light, and water companies as well as the food stores don't care how much you love your job. They want money.
Yes it is disappointing that the politicians gain the voters trust and when voted for jump ship. It would have been decent to attempt to finish their terms, but these people should have the right to elevate themselves. I say move to a better paying job instead of staying somewhere and making yourself and everyone who you encounter on that job miserable.
Posted 16 December 2015, 2:50 p.m. Suggest removal
TruePeople says...
Ya, we all work for money, but a politician should also being conducting their work FOR the PEOPLE out of NATIONAL PRIDE and an honest desire for the best not only for their constituents, but the country as a whole.
Money isn't everything, take any charity or volunteer work..... there is a greater motivation to those jobs than merely money.
We love money, but we should also love our country!
The idea that politicians are ONLY in it for the MONEY is disturbing, and i don't think forgivable. Really these guys are hustlers using politicians clothing to gain those favorable contracts. That is in no way a part of an parliamentarians job description.
Posted 17 December 2015, 4:37 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Comrades for years extending way back in political time to 1968, it has baffles the hell out of the brightest of throat surgeons the world over, how Georgie last this long and he hasn't mastered the art bites off he own tongue.
Posted 16 December 2015, 4:33 p.m. Suggest removal
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