In order for the country to survive the next 5 years without a devaluation the PLP is going to have to introduce a number of painful measures. Moody has fired a severe warning shot today of a further downgrade (in addition to today's downgrade) if government drags it heels on fiscal consolidation. The PLP has never been a party that you would associate with fiscal prudence. Can this leopard really change its spots?

What a sobering wake up call this morning. Brave's hands are going to be firmly tied behind his back during the next 5 years. The governnent simply cannot borrow its way out of this crisis and we are being warned of a further downgrade if we drag our heals on fiscal consolidation. What a poison chalice the new PM has inherited! The PLP are going to have to display a level of fiscal responsibility that they have been unable to achieve historically in order to avoid a devaluation. This means cutting our cloth in a big way which will surely involve a reduction in the civil service payroll and a selling off of the loss making government corporations. Forget any reduction in VAT. Property tax needs to be increased and a zero tolerance for non-payment introduced. And finally the government cannot ignore the huge under funding of the state pension. We cannot kick that can down the road for another 5 years. Things gonna be tough for a while folks - brace yourselves for a long bumpy ride.

Every five years or so we get a new administration and "it's the hope that kills us". We hope that this time the politicians will listen to the people. We hope that this time the politicians will be upright, transparent and honest in their decision making and we hope that they will lead us to a better Bahamas. And every time the disappointment hurts a little more than before.

An FNM defeat was inevitable with Minnis as leader. It is just a shame that the alternative was Brave Davis and the PLP.

If you want to play Russian Roulette with your life then stay unvaccinated. It is a HUGE gamble though and you had better be prepared to live like a hermit for a long time as every social interaction will pose a risk to you. I'm taking my chances with the vaccine as I don't want to appear on the obituaries any time soon.

Higher taxes is the price all of us have to pay for successive administrations keeping thousands of civil service personnel in totally unproductive jobs. Neither the FNM nor the PLP have been prepared to tackle this critical issue and they certainly won't in an election year.

It is a totally shameful decision by the FNM to hold an election at this time. The boat is sinking and we are arguing about who should be captain??

It is patently obvious that the Delta strain is circulating among us. It has a heavy presence in Florida - why would it not be here? It doesn't need a passport! The sharp rise in local infections and hospitalizations in recent months is ample evidence that it is almost certainly with us in The Bahamas. Everyone should assume that it is here and protect themselves accordingly.

Both the PLP and the FNM have clearly demonstrated that their election manifestos are not worth reading. Neither party has lived up to its promises although the FNM did have two major challenges in Dorian and Covid. The FNM has been a major disappointment however in the areas of transparency and accountability. This was the party that was going to govern with honesty, and rid the country of cronyism in the awarding of government contracts. The FNM has shown itself to be little better than the totally corrupt PLP administration. What a horrible choice lies ahead for the electorate.

So sad. Condolences to all of this lady's family and friends. It seems as if the virus is winning at the moment. If you are out and about without being fully vaccinated you are running a huge risk. Yes, there may be a small unknown risk from the vaccine but there is surely a much greater short term risk of dying of COVID. If you want to see the long term then you have to survive the short term.