If there were a genuine effort to disclose the shareholders behind the local number houses, the public would quickly understand why such transparency will never be pursued under the two so-called political parties in the Bahamas—parties that, for all their theatrics, function as one when it comes to protecting entrenched interests.

I can respect and support much of your view. But let me be equally direct: the Bahamian people have carried the financial and moral burden of a class of worthless politicians for far too long. These men and women enter politics not to serve, but to enrich themselves—living off the backs of taxpayers for five years, contributing nothing of substance, and walking away with the spoils of office and a lifelong pension. For what? For speeches and scandals? For photo ops and failures?

Now we’re being told that not only must we tolerate their mediocrity—we must fund their campaigns as well? Absolutely not. That is a step too far. To ask the Bahamian people to foot the bill for the entry of these career politicians into a life of privilege and luxury is a cruel joke at our expense.

And let’s not pretend public funding would magically fix this system. The cronyism will continue. The political favours will persist. And the elite will still protect their own. The entire structure needs radical change—not just campaign financing.

Here is a solution worth serious consideration: separate the executive branch from the civil service. Take political hands off the machinery of government. Let the public service be run under private sector discipline, through strict management agreements, with clear performance benchmarks and full accountability to an independent, publicly elected oversight body. Only then can we eliminate the entrenched culture of nepotism, political interference, and deadweight that plagues our institutions.

We must shift from loyalty to party, to loyalty to country. From bloated bureaucracies filled with “who you know,” to lean, efficient systems run by “who is best qualified.” And above all—we must rid ourselves of the mindset among politicians who believe that governing is a favour to the Bahamian people, that their “service” is unquestionable, and that they are somehow above reproach or unreachable by those who put them in office. That arrogance is not leadership. It is parasitism wrapped in entitlement.

Until we dismantle that entire culture, the youth will flee, the institutions will erode, and our future will continue to be traded away—piece by piece—by people unfit to hold office.

Hard Objection: Public Funds for Political Parties Is an Insult to the Bahamian People

It is beyond audacious for Dr. Hubert Minnis—or any member of this political elite—to suggest that Bahamian taxpayers should now subsidize the very same political parties that have driven this country into economic stagnation, moral bankruptcy, and institutional rot. The gall of such a proposal is staggering.

> Dr. Minnis and his peers dare to cite
> countries like Sweden, Canada, and
> Australia, invoking the prestige of
> these well-governed nations as if the
> Bahamas bears any meaningful
> resemblance to them in terms of public
> accountability, transparency, or
> service delivery. Let’s be clear:
> those countries have functioning
> public healthcare systems, reliable
> education infrastructure, efficient
> transportation networks, and leaders
> who resign when they lie. The Bahamas
> has none of these things. Not even
> close.

So no—we will not be gaslit into funding political parties under the false pretense of “campaign finance reform” while our clinics are under-equipped, roads potholed, schools failing, and violent crime spirals. It is an insult to every struggling Bahamian family to even float this nonsense while asking nothing of the corrupt financiers and shady donors who have long held our political system hostage.

This isn't reform—it's political welfare, a brazen attempt to institutionalize dependency and protect a parasitic class from the wrath of a public they have deceived for decades. The idea that parties should get a quarter-million-dollar subsidy to build museums and pay staff while civil servants go without raises and children sit in classrooms with broken desks is a grotesque mockery of national priorities.

Let us not forget: both Minnis and Davis have publicly acknowledged that the campaign finance system is broken—and then did nothing. Every prime minister since independence has used campaign financing as a rhetorical tool, only to abandon it the moment it threatened their access to unchecked political capital. These promises are not just empty—they are deliberately deceptive, designed to pacify the electorate while keeping power consolidated in the hands of the same cliques.

So no, Dr. Minnis, your recycled proposal—offered without limits, without guarantees of transparency, and without a single tangible reform to how parties are held accountable—is not welcome. You want reform? Start by exposing every donor who financed your last campaign, open the books of your party, and demand real-time disclosures of political contributions. Only then can you dare to approach the public purse.

Until then, do not speak of subsidies. The people of this country are subsidizing enough corruption as it is.

The new hospital has been on the drawing board since the 1970s; at long last, construction is finally under way—and none too soon. But once the building is complete, we will confront the next hurdle: staffing it with qualified physicians.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth. Dozens of Bahamian students earned full medical scholarships from the People’s Republic of China, completed rigorous training, and returned home ready to serve. Yet many are barred from sitting their licensing exams because Western‑aligned accreditation bodies refuse to recognise their Chinese credentials. That geopolitical pettiness doesn’t just disadvantage those young doctors—it deprives Bahamian patients of desperately needed care.

If we are serious about modernising healthcare, we must address this bottleneck. Either our regulators establish a clear, science‑based pathway for recognising reputable Chinese medical degrees, or we condemn ourselves to a gleaming new facility with too few doctors to run it.

So did Cuba, Canada, Jamaica, and the other caricom countries (People’s Republic of China) gave $0.5 Million (Cash grants to NEMA, relief supplies) ... and your point?

... I guess you don't travel much - Bahamian passport‑holders may presently enter about 121 destinations entirely visa‑free, except our beloved neighbour the USofA.

School:

No, there was no RFP for the loan—because financing isn’t done through public bidding.

Governments negotiate financing directly with banks or export credit agencies (like China EXIM or us exim). It’s about getting the best terms—interest rate, repayment period, grace period—not about who builds the project. And for sure, China would have terms attached (like 50% Chinese Work force), just as the UK would term attached (like 60% of supplies must be product manufactured in the UK).

School them 'SP'

Credulous” is far too generous a word for individuals like ExposedU2C, need your schooling and who, lacking even a rudimentary grasp of global affairs, retreat behind a veil of cowardice—parading not just ignorance, but a wilful rejection of truth, dressed in the false confidence of borrowed rhetoric.

If you are so easily manipulated by foreign elements operating within our country—abusing the very freedoms we grant them while deliberately stirring international discord—then you are no different from ExposedU2C, whose treachery is laid bare for all to see. To expose enemies of the state, I suppose my years of comments, critiques, and warnings now appear as mere "trolling" to those unwilling to confront the truth. But the real troll—the true danger to Bahamian sovereignty—is the one who consistently uses our platforms to peddle anti-Bahamian rhetoric and undermine national unity. Don't be so easily deceived by these agents.

Their record speaks for itself:
https://www.tribune242.com/users/Expose…

The same pattern of neglect can be clearly seen in the case of a Bahamian proposal for Bay Street Redevelopment—one of the most critical urban renewal and economic revitalization efforts in The Bahamas. For over two years, outreach has been made to UK and US investors and development institutions, inviting them to engage with a project that would reshape the heart of Nassau, create jobs, unlock tourism value, and restore a neglected corridor of national importance. And what has been the response? Silence. Dismissiveness. Apathy.

These are the same countries that never hesitate to lecture us on “good governance,” “regional security,” and “investment risk,” but when Bahamians present visionary, shovel-ready plans to stimulate the economy and reassert national pride—they simply look the other way. These are also the same voices now crying foul over China’s involvement, as if we must sit and wait for a permission slip from former colonial landlords or indifferent hegemonic partners before developing our own capital city.

Contrast that with China.

Within 30 days of outreach, the Chinese Embassy responded with professionalism and seriousness, expressing interest and actively seeking to schedule a formal meeting. That’s the difference between performative allies and practical partners. China didn’t dismiss us. They didn’t deflect. They acknowledged the strategic importance of Bay Street and opened the door for further dialogue—something the West failed to do after two years of opportunity.

This isn’t about ideology. It’s about results.

Western partners had ample time to act—and chose not to. Whether out of geopolitical hesitation, investment prejudice, or simple the colour of our skin, they forfeited their chance to lead. And now, having been absent when it mattered most, they feign concern when China steps up to the table.

A project like the Bay Street Project is not political—it is transformational. And Bahamians are tired of begging for attention from partners who only show up to lecture or interfere, but never to build. The time has come to work with those who actually answer the call—not those who hang up when the stakes are high.

So let it be known: China responded in 30 days. The West has had two years.
We don't owe loyalty to those who ignore us. We owe progress to our people.

http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2025…