Comment history

DaGoobs says...

If they want to understand what's behind the problem they can do one of two things: (1) utilise the secret shopper/secret tourist concept. Get some black and white Bahamians to travel to Nassau on a cruise ship playing the part that they are not Bahamians. I've done it and even if I don't try to fake an American accent, the Bahamians at Prince George Whatf seem to think because you're on the cruise ship that you're a foreigner and want you to buy this and that or take a tour or whatever oblivious to who they are dealing with. As they talk amongst themselves, they throw around more effing this and effing that and expect people off the cruise ship to not hear all.of this. Well they do hear it and because it's coming from black folks who they don't know, they prefer not to do business with them. (2) Put video cameras and sound recording around Prince George Wharf and the Straw Market and see what the tourists experience. The Straw Market is a dark cavern with many vendors hustling every white face that comes in there trying to sell their wares. Many have not learned the gentle art of the sale. What we have not learned is how we see ourselves is very, very different from how others see us.

On 'Be more creative to reach cruise ship market'

Posted 2 September 2018, 12:22 a.m. Suggest removal

DaGoobs says...

These webshop people are the kings and queens of spin. There is nothing that they say that I will ever believe. The customer is paying this tax from monies on their accounts with the webshops. Bet Vegas is so rich they'll make 40 million dollars in new business? And where pray tell does Sebas and Flowers and crew get that data? Seems like the pot calling the kettle black. Does highlight though how slowly Government is moving on either licensing Bet Vegas or putting them out of business.

On Web shop 'cart before horse' may cost $40m

Posted 1 September 2018, 11:57 p.m. Suggest removal

DaGoobs says...

And replace the duties with? More VAT?

On DPM pledges crack down on smuggling

Posted 12 July 2018, 11:13 p.m. Suggest removal

DaGoobs says...

They have people within the WSC who have been to these courses or had the IADB come to the WSC and explain how to reduce losses and improve service and product. Or they could have flown a few Englishmen out here who work at these water companies to explain how they operate; they'd be happy to come to the Tropics for a week or less. Or they could have arranged video conferencing for the Englishmen to explain their system to the Bahamians. How many of Gibson's entourage work for WSC versus sit on the Board?

DaGoobs says...

The PLPs like Obie Wilchcombe want us to keep events like the Relays because it occurred on their watch and supported their notion of state-sponsored or state-supported "sports tourism". Unfortunately we have a culture where sports teams and others want to travel or host major championships and expect the government to foot the bill because the event somehow "promotes" the Bahamas. If the government gets involved it should only be to provide a small amount of funding, facilitate the arrival and departure of foreign teams and transit to and from venues and assist with event security. No one should expect the government to carry the financial load for these international sporting events. BTW the returns on advertising that D'Aguilar spends on his private business is for his personal benefit. The business spends on advertising from its profits. A profit-less business is bankrupt and eventually goes out of business.

DaGoobs says...

RT presided over a racist regime because that was the order of the day. Only men who owned land could vote. Women had no right to vote and married women for a long time had no right to own land. Black Bahamians could not eat in every restaurant or drink in every bar or watch a movie in every moviehouse. Such was the lot of blacks at one time in our history, a history that cannot be changed in hindsight. That was how it was in those days. RT owned land south of Wulff Road that he sold to black Bahamians and that's how we wind up with subdivisions like Coconut Grove. At the end of the day was RT any more racist than Pindling who when you fell out with him he used every political and economic tool at his disposal to bury you alive? Carlton Francis - all suit and no man. The Dissident Eight - mashed down as much as possible in any which way, shape or form for daring to oppose the no longer square deal. FNM supporters - no government contracts, no government work, nothing. We can't change the history of the times that RT and Pindling and even Christopher Columbus lived in. The only criteria that seemingly is being used to designate RT, Pindling, Sir Milo and Cecil as national heroes is that they had some role to play in Bahamian politics before and/or after 10th January 1967. Seems that we have little history and no national heroes prior to then. This to me is lazy people making these designations and once again putting the politicians over all other people as if we have no other national heroes besides politicians.

On Clash over hero of ‘racist regime’

Posted 12 July 2018, 10:30 p.m. Suggest removal

DaGoobs says...

Hold our breath for what? Was there ever any doubt? Isaacs was assured of the appointment from the first day but on Minnis' time not the PLP dem time. As I said months ago when this issue first came up, much ado about nothing.

DaGoobs says...

Sorry to disagree Mario but this economic citizen concept hasn't worked in places like Antigua, Anguilla and other countries that have tried it. What we need are people who are coming here with their money to utilise their skills to invest in, build and develop the Bahamas as citizens not people who get free entry simply because they are prepared to spend some arbitrary amount on real estate that only benefits a few. This is more economic refugeeism as 90 days residence is too short maybe 6 months/180 days is better. And if these people are going to invest any serious money in this country then $1 million should be the minimum and the other monies should go to entities that provide annual audited accounts which none of the entities mentioned do. Investors want to know that their money goes to useful, accountable bodies that account to the public on how the money they receive is spent. None of the state agencies mentioned by Mario do any of that and we don't need more civil servants building private homes with disaster relief money and nothing comes of it.

DaGoobs says...

So the government wants to move registration, licensing and payment online? This ought to send a message to them that not everyone has the capacity or capability or desire to do business online. So how do they propose to put services in place for these folks, maybe as many as 40,000 or more of them? Not everyone has or wants to pay for overpriced internet in the Bahamas or understands how to use online services. This represents around 20% of the population of New Providence.

DaGoobs says...

Sometimes they are moved because they are outshining their leader and becoming too popular. Don't see that as the cause with any of these 4. Sometimes they are moved because they are underperforming in their office. Certainly that appears to be the case in at least 2 of the moved but could easily be attributed to all 4. Sometimes they are moved because they are in over their heads and don't have a clue what they are doing. The writer identifies one such individual in the article and there might be others. Minnis' main problem is that he can't afford to ostracise too many of his parliamentary group for fear of another coup like the one engineered by Loretta Butler Turner so better to move these 4 to new ministries where they can learn afresh at the public's expense while continuing to be clueless or underperform or maybe even excell, while driving around in cars purchased, licensed, inspected, insured, serviced and now gassed up at taxpayer expense.