Well as long as you are not withdrawing support. Please be careful that your criticism and altruism does't paint them into a corner either. I'm sure they know by now outside help is available but they don't want the help for now, that's ok by me Godspeed Vets!

In your next post could you put any representation of the ratio of Bahamian-Foreign Investment - monetary;industry; potential for growth, any way you see fit (I even invite you to include illegal businesses)

This is one investment the Vets assoc. have said they can handle and you want to begrudge them the decision? I don't know how they came to this decision but I know it wasn't: we're so dumb, we can't do anything, money money, death to all foreigners! I am easily extending them a little bit of credit here.

Before I was being inched out of the context of animal care...as I am now pushed into a separate argument on FDI my opinion is the following:

There might be an inexhaustible amount of money to invest by foreigners in developing countries like ours but there are limited opportunities to satisfy need - satisfying some need (occupying some role) in society is what makes someone useful, makes someone deserving of money, and capable of providing. I am no more suggesting that we exclude all FDI in favour of propping up the economy on our own than you are suggesting the opposite extreme of the country being owned in its entirety by a foreign power leaving each Bahamian with the singular life's pursuit of one day earning enough to purchase their freedom.
The modern opportunity rush (minus the other libertarian values like freedom of movement etc etc.) threatens to disproportionately divide the population into Bahamian employees-foreign ownership if FDI goes unchecked and as the salaried workers have fewer opportunities to own/earn it will be increasingly difficult to improve on their circumstances then as the foreign employers further dictate the terms of migration into the country the Bahamian workers face further competition to occupy a role in society (and with the state we're in some might argue no competiton at all).

Opportunity is often way more valuable than the money paid for it.

Balance is needed in all things. How do we balance? Well for starters when an organisation like the Vets association say they can handle operating a charitable business give them a shot at it. I assume a few things in my defense of their position:
They have new experience of running the operation as last year's was the first, so where they have failed in the past they may have a new understanding of efficiency;
They have newly graduated Vets with fresh perspectives;
They may try another route maybe regional - you help solve ours we help solve yours (there are a multitude of avenues to success)
Through all the criticism they may have forgotten but they have won the opportunity to show what they can do - and yes the financial incentives to do it;
If they fail the problem and the opportunity to solve it will be up for grabs again; They were involved last year (they were involved this year...almost)
They may ask for help again;
This has turned into one giant stick for them, they might not have known when they made the decision; when they made the decision they might have only seen the carrots, but carrot or stick they now have a major incentive to succeed.

Anyone can have the answers, even kids: #kindergarten!ha #JackAndrakasuperbjob, it's whether or not you are willing to do the work and stay the moral and ethical course.

Personally there are three places, answers or not, I will never work: in a classroom, in a courtroom, and in political office (shudders)!

I appreciate honesty,
the only thing worse than a weak man is a bully! #meekshallinherittheearth

If the Vets have said they got this, then they got this, we could apply all the foreign generosity to the other social issues right, but I suspect, if there are no benefits to be had (money, land, contracts etc.) then there would be no one there to 'help'.

Therefore I applaud a group for finally saying sh1t is out of control, we gat to fix this ourselves!! #howevertheycametotheconclusion

?

Then obviously successive governments have not succeeded in the task of building the framework but the answer to this can no more be to discard the people than it can be to shoot these dogs dead and make some use of their pelt. In this instance in particular we are talking about skilled people who have educated themselves and implemented social programmes and do donate their time and now they are saying they propose to manage population control and health concerns in a sustained operation and build their own legacy at the same time.

What if the conversation between the two parties went like this:

Bahvets: Great, looking forward to OP2014
Forvets: Us too!
Bahvets:We have a list of suppliers that we'd like to use
Forvets: Nope sorry. Pulls out, cries to international community, sings we are the world in dog and cat, (but not admitting that they need to guarantee the application of supplies procured to guarantee even more supplies next year at a better price to service charitable and for costs operations across their network) bully! bully!
Bahvets; Fine we'll do it ourselves (not admitting negotiating the procurement of supplies for same reason but feel, rightfully so, deserving) (Maybe bit off more than they could chew, maybe not)
Headlines: Vets face uphill struggle with shot foot
Public: bully! bully! Neuter the vets!

Pause

I said what if...my point is egos are almost certainly involved where people are concerned, but mostly the commenters have supposed that they are incapable, proud and greedy. They deserve the opportunity to build and maybe build a legacy that services Bah, the Northern Caribbean, the whole Caribbean, SA,, NA, the world, the universe etc or maybe fail...

You might find that our labour policies are the same or similar to those of Germany. Our population does differ by approx. 180 degrees but with all the high minded superiority and egos (and money) of the privileged class you'd think we could work out the problems of inefficiency and poverty in a generation (like Malaysia maybe) and be on the road to all of us being smartie-pants!

Local jobs are going the way of the dinosaur, you call it protectionism, when the number one responsibility of a government is to provide the framework for it's inhabitants to carve out a life. Do you think Germany would be the number one economy in Europe if Germans didn't have jobs.

There are barriers to entry to being so skilled, so cost effective and so productive and one I'm guessing is having a sizeable enough operation that lowers costs of supplies and warrants further tax concessions to keep costs low. We don't all want to shop at Walmart because then Walmart would be the only place to shop.
The Vets have challenged themselves to get a functioning operation off the ground and maintain it including other essential services which can be folded into the same fundraising drives, let's not withdraw our support because we are not on the side of the decision makers.

The VET's association whether it pains anyone to admit, has the right to ask for the opportunity to manage national affairs and the government (PLP or FNM or etc) has an obligation to support them in their development. This boils down to the enduring argument of whether [charitable] foreign investment is better for the Bahamas so we continue to support the financial and structural growth of their organisation or an economy should be shored up as much as possible by local investment. The Vet association should have cut their support off after the last event or allow this one to proceed informing the public that it would be the last one; but their timing was their only mistake not the decision to kindly refuse further assistance. What will be interesting to see is if the widespread criticism of their decision would equate to their being ham-stringed (or in 242 terms shot in both knees with a sawed-off so they are sufficiently crippled) or if this widespread acknowledgement of the problem will gain them the support they are seeking. If this was really a question of the short-term vs. long term solution (because it is cheap for anyone to suggest that not ALL parties involved are interested in the well-being of these animals) then the foreign assistance at last year's event would have led to infrastructural development not the perpetuating of year-on-year dependence. Funding is what helps a foreign organisation satisfy need and need is essential for funding. The Bahamas does not have to be on the inventory of need for every other organisation to justify fundraising but not our own! Charities are businesses as well and animal welfare (spay/neuter programmes PLUS all the other essential services they donate) is is the business of the Vet's association. I hope despite the criticism they can receive the financial and moral support to continue and in short order establish and maintain functional infrastructure that continues unwaveringly to remedy an anti-social situation

The VET's association whether it pains anyone to admit, has the right to ask for the opportunity to manage national affairs and the government (PLP or FNM or etc) has an obligation to support them in their development. This boils down to the enduring argument of whether [charitable] foreign investment is better for the Bahamas so we continue to support the financial and structural growth of their organisation or an economy should be shored up as much as possible by local investment. The Vet association should have cut their support off after the last event or allow this one to proceed informing the public that it would be the last one; but their timing was their only mistake not the decision to kindly refuse further assistance. What will be interesting to see is if the widespread criticism of their decision would equate to their being ham-stringed (or in 242 term shot in both knees with a sawed-off so they are sufficiently crippled) or if this widespread acknowledgement of the problem will gain them the support they are seeking. If this was really a question of the short-term vs. long term solution (because it is cheap for anyone to suggest that not ALL parties involved are interested in the well-being of these animals) then the foreign assistance at last year's event would have led to infrastructural development not the perpetuating of year-on-year dependence. Funding is what helps a foreign organisation satisfy need and need is essential for funding. The Bahamas does not have to be on the inventory of need for every other organisation to justify fundraising but not our own! Charities are businesses as well and animal welfare (spay/neuter programmes PLUS all the other essential services they donate) is is the business of the Vet's association. I hope despite the criticism they can receive the financial and moral support to continue and in short order establish and maintain functional infrastructure that continues unwaveringly to remedy an anti-social situation

or maybe the amount they figured is from the bulk supplier they've contracted to supply their larger operations/ It doesn't mean our Vets padded anything.