I went through the same thing. Never missed a mortgage payment on my first home -- perfect customer. At first they gave me the green light, so I paid $500 for a property appraisal etc. I met with the bank multiple times. They assured me everything was great. I had 45K cash to put down on the inexpensive property (it was a little over 200K). Then, bam, they informed me that they can't lend for a second home, because I was self employed. I needed a letter from my employer for "Canada" to approve the deal. I asked them why they couldn't tell me that in the first place. Terrible experience!!! I realized that unless you are rich and don't need the money, they won't lend to you!!!!

I simply can't understand this point: If this man has given up his sallary in representing the Government as lead negotiator for WTO accesion, what motivates him to denegrate WTO opponents and put everything on the line to defend WTO? In my opinion, it makes no logical sense from a capitalist perspective. What drives his loyalty to WTO over his intelligent Bahamian colleagues? Who would do all that he has done for free?

Diversity. Yes. We definitely need more of that. Less Haitians and more diverse looking people. I'm 42 years old and this country is less diverse than when I was a teenager. Haiti is pumping in low IQ people into the system, and the people are looking more and more like Africa. We are one of the least diverse countries in the Caribbean it appears (not easy for single men). If the author is speaking of diversifying the population, so we don't have another reign of Brave Davis and PLP: "I can tief what I want because I'm black," I can get behind that. But simply doubling the population with low IQ people would be an environmental disaster. Even doubling the population with diverse, high IQ people would harm the environment and likely be ecologically unsustainable. They should be required to live in Grand Bahama or Andros -- New Providence is completely full.

Now I've seen it all. Of all the silly things I've read, this is top of the list: "But our present 400,000 population — actuarially predicted soon to level off and decline — is too small to provide the human resources for a growing economy." Every scholar in the world is calling for a decrease in global populations. Every country (see Venezuela) is struggling to feed its people due to their large amount. Every environmentalist is calling for lowering the carbon footprint. Yet, this "dude" is calling for us to double our population. The Bahamas is blessed due to its small population!!!!!

Are some of us just goofy? This author wants more grotesque, dirty, littering people in these Bahama island gems? You asking for more ape-crapping people. Are you serious? Why don't you just move to Haiti then, if you want to smell more body odour.

Would you want Turnquest as your banker, if he can't tell it straight: The Bahamas is falling off the cliff in financial services rankings!

The truth of the matter is New Providence is vastly overpopulated. With Baha Mar, Atlantis, Albany etc. jobs should not be an issue here. But, with its swelling Haitian population, there will never be enough jobs in New Providence with or without WTO. Go check our public schools and you will see thousands of Haitian students being educated for work in New Providence. The sad fact is this tiny island state will never have enough jobs to gainfully employ even half of the Haitian immigrant population, let alone its own people. We have too many people on this 21 by 7 rock period!

Re Economist What goods are you trying to sell but aren't allowed to? Switcha? Nope. Or are you just making things up?

Good points but WTO has very little to do with what you are saying. Bahamians will not be offered shares in any WTO companies that come here.

Re Economist Are you dreaming? If WTO is so great, why are all the Haitian and Jamaican "young entrepreneurs" (from WTO member states) beating down the door to get into The Bahamas? People chase money not WTO pipe dreams. Zuckerberg didn't need WTO to start Facebook, he used something vastly Superior to WTO, his brain!