EDITOR, The Tribune.

Over the past forty odd years governments all over the world, inclusive of The Bahamas, have evolved into organisations which seemingly tax the poor while enriching those who are already considered to be amongst the elitist classes. The marginalised and the poor, as spoken of in the Bible, are ever with us.

The Prime Minister has announced the creation of at least two government sponsored subdivisions here in New Providence and one in Central Abaco, according to the outgoing Attorney General. These are, of course, pure election gimmicks of the highest order.

There is no way in the world that these proposed subdivisions can be laid out; prepared with all of the required infrastructure and actual construction of even a chicken coop within the next six months or so. By that time general elections would have come and gone.

In my opinion this so-called housing initiative is so deceptive and grossly discriminatory that it is not laughable.

The PM went on to say that the one being proposed over in Gambier will be exclusively available to Bahamians and residents under forty-five (45) years of age. If you are older you need not apply.

A “committee” will be established to determine who gets a bite of this pie-in-the sky cheese cake. Of course, it will be nonpartisan and comprised of members of the FNM; PLP; DNA; Coalition of Independent Candidates and Ali McIntosh and crew. Give them all a say and watch the fireworks begin.

With general elections looming it would appear that Peter is about to rob Paul to take care of John via a housing scheme.

To use collective taxpayers’ money to buy or procure the political support of Bahamians is dead wrong and should and must be condemned by all right thinking Bahamians. This is nothing short of legal plunder by government. A long dead French political and economic philosopher, Frederic Bastiat, who was a member of the elected French Chamber of Deputies in the 1940’s wrote: “The state is the great fiction by which everybody tries to live at the expense of everybody else.’’

By what rationale is Minnis proposing to economically empower an arbitrary and selected group of Bahamians at the glaring and discriminatory expense or peril of other Bahamians? Who gave him and his cowboy government such a mandate and when did they do so? If this outgoing PM really wanted to assist all qualified Bahamians he and his hapless government would liberalise Crown Land immediately and grant land without discrimination or favour.

The PM is pandering on the basest level without an ounce of shame. Bahamians may be docile, but they are not stupid.

A visually challenged person can see through this charade and pantomime. With his inept handling of the government’s response or lack of it to COVID-19 and before that Dorian, Minnis must know that his days in high office are over.

He came, he saw but he could not govern. It is as simple as that and no matter what he and his crew attempt to do at this stage will persuade a single Bahamian to go with them to the dance again. Not a single one of his campaign promises have been kept….no not one. Bahamian politics is like an adulterous marriage. If you cheated on me once before, why should I trust you not to do so again?

Minnis and his band of merry men and one woman need to go and the sooner they do so the better it will be for The Bahamas. The incoming New PLP under the proven leadership of the Hon Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, QC (PLP-Cat Island) has a clear vision plan for our wonderful nation and they know that it cannot be a 2.0 vision of former PM brother Christie.

The economic and political inertia which has plagued us since the political exit of the Rt Hon Hubert A Ingraham, is no longer sustainable. We have literally wasted some 40 odd years in the wilderness going around in circles. It is now time to go over the Jordan and finally enter The Promised Land. Minnis is the ‘leader’ of the blind, with all due respect to actually blind people, and he has and will continue to lead us into a ditch. To God then in all things be the glory.

ORTLAND H BODIE Jr

Nassau,

April 20, 2021.