Is this the new way of making coal?

Nothing to joke about. Very dry and windy up here for months. Some people are very careless with their cigarette butts.

Keep thinking that I'm joking......those amongst you in Abaco and Andros are not joking about sending coal home.......please investigate and stop running around with blinders on. When all those burned trees 'disappear' ...........

I remember reading in geography books in school of how the hills in Haiti were systematically denuded of trees, then came the mudslides. We really need real teeth behind forestry but everything in this country is trumped by money over and under the table

I never believed that fire in Andros "*just happened.*" The problem is in the face of a completely broken system, we have no way to tell if that's true or not. Who's going to investigate for accelerants? Evidence of illegal burning activity? Cigarette butts as a commenter said? The trigger? Who? It's much easier to say, "*it hot*" then go get ready for the regatta race

In another year or so, we'll be forced to select from among ~100 men, the majority of which would be completely unqualified to run a neighbourhood tuck shop, giving them control over our entire country strategy and its multimillion dollar coffers. At the end of five years we'll see most of them either in fancier suits, fatter, more arrogant, associated with beautiful unqualified women theyve elevated in some govt position, caught in some *the money gone* scandal, well hear statements like *this how the game works*, *everybody uses govt funds to give overpriced contracts to their friends and hand out money for nothing in the neighbourhood, what wrong with that?* and then it'll be time to chose from the next batch

What does any of that have to do with 4 fires in Abaco? Everything.

I heard one commenter say they like someone for FNM leadership because "*they like how they sound*". On a fundamental level that's why everyone votes for anyone, but in this country all it means is you have a deep voice, you sound like a Baptist preacher or you are a Baptist preacher, you in a junkanoo group or you rowdy and have a union position. I also hear people say they voting for Travis because of how he sound. And it is admirable the example he sets in a sea of young men just falling by the wayside. But does he "*sound*" any different than he did last time? No? Well, what did he do last time? He got a job in the ministry of tourism and silence.... until he showed up on facebook. #piehole

Bahamians need to change their mental selection process. And the current party system needs to be obliterated.

ThisIsSour makes undeniable points, as Sir Etienne wrote many time: "A people get the government that they deserve." This country got a D- gubmint that don't like statistics because statistics, them, involve numbers, and who wanna deal with all the rithmatamatics. Besides that; what form of government would recommend, Authoritarian Dictatorship? A communist workers paradise, also headed by an authoritarian dictator? The Swiss democratic model, but based on islands instead of cantons?

And you are correct, this country is **sour**... at the moment. I often wonder if its fixable. 202**7** will tell.

As to suggested *Type of govt*? Theres no type of govt that will fix endemic corruption. Communist, socialist, Republican, democratic, none. Not even local govt. What would a local govt official bought by the money interests do? Or paid and bought for by the ruling party of the day? Or left devoid of funding to do any good work as Obie Wilchcombe claimed he was in West End.

Better discernment would have uncovered that the call was for a change to the party system and the selection process, and not a call to move from a democratic system. Because even within the party the selection process is skewed to a handful of members. And that's not the end of the solution because even with that change the system could still end up with a "popular" disaster. A change in the mindset of the people has to work hand in hand, as a body we need to cease the support of corrupt contracts once I benefit, we need to reject the purchasing of our vote and we need to judge candidates by their ability, learned and inherent. Theres no suggestion that it's easy or quick. Again 2027 will tell if this is fixable

Trust me. It is 99% volunteers and maybe 1% fire services.