Why they don't tax the damn chinese? The Chinese don't contribute to our communities.

You ask "Why?". I will tell you why. Our governments, both FNM and PLP alike, would rather give bountiful generous concessions to the Chinese and then tax the death out of us poor Bahamians.

This is all quite curious. We have a party system and many of them were elected because of their party affiliation despite what they may think. So when is a party, no longer a party? how long can you disagree on substantive policy and still be a viable group? Getting to grips with debt is not easy, but either you agree its a problem or you dont. Seems this is a key plank of FNM gov't policy and as such should be unanimously supported by all FNM members. I would say the in-house naysayers are basically showing no support in their party leadership. Where is the whip party leader?

The MP is voting on behalf of his constituents. Government BY THE PEOPLE. This is what happens in a DEMOCRACY when new and drastic measures are dished up without preamble and discussion with The People whose Time It Is.

....this is the quandry ....the PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATE whether or not nomimated by a party.....has to get the majority of the constituency voters to vote for them...they personally have to speak and win that constituency voter over....and to see that person for FIVE YEARS...listening, trying to make their lives better...versus.....those who are serving the Party line....there are big differences between constituencies and what may benefit say an equal number of affluent constituciencies may not benefit the other poorer constituencies...another quandry is that the Majority of MPs will belong to one large island and those in the archepalago several smaller islands are paying their taxes ..same equal Consumer taxes at the same rate...but may get shut off from development....

EXCELLENT POINTS FROM one MP VAUGHAN MILLER.

PROBABLE ONE OF THE FIRST DESPITE SO MANY OTHER FIAANCIAL TAXATION Experts snd mathematical businessmen on his party TO MENTION THE OPTION OF... .INCOME TAX..!!!!!

Next to jave chosen to listen to the some 5,000 voters in his Constituency rather than the 32 or so colleagues.

Both forms and other forms of taxation should be viewed....AND ....added credits can be added to encourage business growth say $..........back refund for businesses expanding in family islands...those opening in family islands...those hiring x number of staff, opening in depressed areas

my point is simply this, how does a party pursue and implement its policies if it can't even get its own members to support them, much less opposition members.. maybe we ought to become a republic then.. let the PM and his cabinet create policy and see if they can convince the other elected folks to back it.

Nationalize the web shops.
Take all those buildings and use them as voting booths.
In today's day and age, do we really need representatives?
I don't think anyone can represent my views.
My wife and son say I'm crazy anyway, so who would want to try?
I can speak on my own behalf, thank you very much.
Or, should we use all this impressive technology only for gambling and porn?

YES YES YES...now we are getting someplace Socrates and Porcupine...we are an archepelago .wid separate islands...each island requiring own infrastructure etc..unless we join dem all up by road but still have some challenges....perhaps we can look at the Swiss type of government...more democracy

As is we hsve the MP elected by a 5,000 constituency answerable to that Constituency, people and needs with a paid for Salary, pension, perks, 9 to 5 open Constituency Office paid for by the taxpayers.........and .....on the other side we have their political party and party line and the campaign campaining funding and free teeshirts an piece of macaroni, chicken wing, rally wid music, Party leader hugging you and asking how yer children doing, how yer grandma (dey gets this info from yhe generals not like dey personally know yer grandma but its very impressive dey asking) once every five years.
Voting fer Party ...or...voting fer Constituents....in an archepalago different islands...different Constitutiencies, some very affluent...many others dead pore different needs....then making the challenge worser is dat many MP may not live in their own pore constitutiencies but in the rich ones.......???!!!!!

I agree that the current regressive taxation regime is infair and therefore unsuitable. But any effort at this point in time to replace it with a progressive income tax regime of the kind found in more developed countries would be like putting dynamite in the hands of young children. Our successive spendthrift governments have demonstrated that they are simply not responsible enough to oversee the implementation and administration of a progressive income tax regime, mainly due to the failed two party political system we have been saddled with for decades whereby incompetent imbeciles are typically nominated to run for elected office.

For the time being a 10% VAT with no exemptions could work, but only if accompanied by sustained belt tightening aimed at significantly (and painfully) reducing the size of our grossly over-bloated public services sector by as much as one-third or more over the next two to three years at most. And of course the scourge of the criminal empires run by the numbers bosses would have to be dealt with, in large part through much higher taxation then even currently proposed and by the establishment of a completely tax-free national lottery initially operated by reputable and seasoned foreign lottery experts from Canada or the U.S.