Welcome to the life of a Bahamian in his own country, but there is hope; ask one of your "white and foreign" friends to act on your behalf (with a bit of tip on the side) and watch how fast you can get things done in the Bahamas - yes, we are still privileged to serve "white and foreign" while killing the dreams of our brothers. IF it's any comfort, where I live, we waited two years (and a change of Government) to have the street lights repaired, and this is the same neighbourhood where former Works Minister Desmond Bannister lives.

> as a matter of urgency

I can't believe I would just read this article as an exact experience that many local investors have experienced with the Minnis (and the former Christie) Administration, including my group who presented a 50 Million Dollar Project to modernize a government department completely.

I can share the exact story of our interaction (or lack thereof) from the same-named government officials who give the exact "inventions", know that you would eventually get fed up and abandon your efforts this is unbelievable:

Joshua Sears,
* The Prime Minister’s Senior Policy Adviser,

David Davis,
* Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office,

Kwasi Thompson,
* Minister for Grand Bahama.

Only in the Bahamas do we break down each other while giving hotels concessions, tax breaks and concessionary terms to foreigners; but a Bahamian, "you need to run", "get away from here", "who he thinks he is", "my Bro I have no time for you".

The view related to Bahamians entering an area at an industrial level is incomprehensible by the policy and administrative elements in the Bahamas, somewhat willing and unwilling a Bahamian should limit themselves to the concept of doing business in the "backyard" as a people, regardless. And only foreigners are blessed with such a privilege of industrial development in the Bahamas, as was my recent experience with this government.

To further complicate matters, we view each other with suspicion and, again by culture, limit our collective strengths to make the necessary change or have a voice. Then we will sit by in our comfort corner of passiveness, only complaining when politicians kill dreams. We teardown but do not help each other up; we think the worse but will never give a word of encouragement. We kill the dreams of our brother while polishing the dreams of others; like so many areas where Bahamians should have the exclusive right of engagement, this too is threatened.

The Bahamian people ask one thing of their servants, "do your job". My face, my family name and how much you didn't like me when we attended high school, should not prevent you from respecting me and simply providing me with the service of government.

*There must be a legal resolve or a call for an international investigation where local officials are believed to be receiving protection payment from foreign investors, which are not far from what is usually the practice considering the recent Sandy Bottom Investigation.*

Old man, Fred's age, is starting to show; Bahamian Politics the "Fool's Game" allows for lies, exaggeration and propaganda; who knows this better than The Most Sr PLP Propagandist Fred, who over the 45 years that I have known him has told more lies and falsehood than a gay drunken sailor just in from 9 months at sea.

**The Fools Game of Bahamian Politics
60 years of unfulfilled promises, yet the Bahamians rush to the Local Political game as if giving the same losing teams just one more chance will improve the opportunity. But the fools game has its own rules, and those rules are the rules left by Colonial Masters; and its suppression over the subject who has passively settled for cheap T-shirts, bragging rights, and a few dollars if lucky or a bottle of beer.
The Needs of The Country And its People Have Exceeded The Current Political Ideology. From 1967 - Now!

How Have We Progressed As a People? What Opportunities Have We Missed, Mistakes Made And How Do We Look Back at The Past 50 Years, And Move Forward To The Next 50 Years.
Can The Colonial Footing That Created The Old Bahamas Sustain a Future Bahamas? Fundamental Changes Are Needed For The Bahamas to Regain Its Once Held Position of Glory That Made Us All Hold Our Heads High and Proud To Be Called Bahamians?
We want our voting participation to influence our country's future development and benefits our economy, communities, environment, and educational system.
Our Voice Maybe Small But Together Our Small Voices Can Be A Force That Influence Change.
Demand more for your effort to participate; it's your right to vote, yes! But if voting benefits you nothing, it's a wasted and useless effort in this fool's game of Bahamian Politics.**

**

**Politicians talk in a tone that management of the business of the Bahamian People is somehow separate from jobs that naturally occurs as a paid servant of the people. The reactive management in the time of need is not an appreciatory event but a right. And those who beat their chests in paid service to the people of the Bahamas are only abusers in a system of oppression that slaves Bahamians to a bad dream of a political deliverance from a system of governance whose relevance is of a time pass, even then was unfit and rejected.**

**

***Bahamians have yet learnt to take ownership of their own country to demand accountability and order from those who are elected to serve the people that make up the nation of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The current Political Ideology has created an unchecked industry where Bahamians rush to the Local Political game, like devoted fans of the same losing teams; believing just one more chance will improve the opportunity. But the fools game has its own rules, and those rules are the rules left by Colonial Masters; and its suppression over the subject who has passively settled for cheap T-shirts, bragging rights, and a few dollars if lucky or a bottle of beer.

To the Political Players Bahamians are of no consequence in the "fool's game" of Politics in the Bahamas. Footstools, ascending street tugs, and some may say criminals to the highest state office; the five year game of transforming once nobodies into an elite class while opening opportunities for themselves and not the people they should serve.

The poor, old and dying sit by in awe as wealth and access becomes a spectacle in this "fools game" just one more time with the hope of something different. But only the abuse where there is no accountability that takes a new face in the "fool's game" of Bahamian Politics.
***

could not have said it better myself.

*The group is also calling for a Public Service Act “that more clearly distinguishes the oversight and management roles between ministers and senior government officials”, while also establishing performance-based benchmarks for civil servants.*

This one overlooked change will significantly change the efficacy and add that badly needed level of professionalism to Ministries while fostering the advancement of unbiased opportunities for Bahamians, and make it clear that receiving gifts (as a mains to gain influence) of any kind from foreign commercial interest is punishable by imprisonment when found guilty.

In any other situation, I would think this would fall into the category of "receiving stolen goods" on the part of BOB, who knowingly provided the funds for the stolen goods. Change the scenario to "Joe Blow Public" and see if there will be the same outcome; I will put my bets on "No."

not saying it's his fault, but when we have this level of a breach in multiple levels and at various agencies, one would ask the question, "who is at fault."

We can also attribute if you consider the program offered detects fraud electronically and designed to save lives, alert officials when a vehicle is being driven without insurance, stolen or seen monitoring an area suspiciously.

And if the system was in place and lives could be saved and crimes prevented, or the system may have prevented some deaths, as proven internationally, then yes, we can blame Peter Turnquest in these instances.