One can say the same for the long cancelled Bahamas Games. It’s too financially painful for them to have found money to put on this event every three years. Yet they a united Bahamas. They want top class athletes that can go abroad and not only compete but win events and bring home medals. And so now they have to spend $5 million or more on police cars and equipment to fight a crime situation that is not getting better. In fact it may be getting worse. But how much is being spent on events for youth and the general public post high school? The National Stadium is begging for events. And hotels and tourist related businesses can use a summer boost that tends to trickle into the winter season and make it more active.

> > For those of you who think this event would be a net positive income -
> I say, the same would be like if you
> ran across a deal someone selling a
> car for $2500, and you know you could
> clean it up and put new tires and a
> working sound system and sell it for
> $4500 making a profit of $1200. (Net
> positive income).
>
> Sounds wonderful. BUT you can't do it
> if you don't have $2500 to buy it.
>
> We don't have $5M to "buy" this
> profitable sports event. Sad, but
> true.

Your reasoning is without foundation. First of all purchasing a flat screen for your own entertainment (and hoping to score with your girl) is totally different from investing in an already popular international sports event and hoping to realize a profit or at least break even. And since most people who will be attending this event have already planned and budgeted for it next year and they will be attending whether it is held in the Bahamas or not. And of course, the news media and other sports and auxiliary personnel that attend and follow these events are a shoe in. So whilst the Bahamian participation may not be as expected, the foreign visitors, which generate new revenue are almost guaranteed. And since the government predicts there will be some growth in the economy in the next ten months and moving forward, the Bahamian participation may be greater than expected, despite the increase in VAT. To say that the Bahamas government does not have $5 million to invest in an event of this caliber is indeed sad., and sorry!

So is this spending or investing with a guaranteed return?

> We can’t put our conch in the water, because automatically it will be conch poisoning to people…because of the situation in the water,” she said.

.Even the old people use to tell you not to eat conch 'in da heat." They probably didn't know why but the did know that doing so would send you to the bathroom in an uncomfortable state. And yes there was the dredging going on at Montagu and the raw sewerage being released constantly in the waters at the various marinas around Potters Cay. Even on Paradise Island. And no toilets for persons hanging out on Potters Cay at night. So they relieve themselves In the same waters where some conch are stored overnight.

This has to be one of the most embarrassing, economically ill-informed and senseless decisions the Minnis government has made, without question. The Bahamas is a tourist destination, and of course, it would want to draw high-class events that will bring publicity to the country and eventually draw tourist to this destination. Not only are the World Relays filled with elite athletes, but these events draw news media from every part of the world, many who broadcast live from the event over its entire duration. Giving the country hours and hours of promotion and publicity. Friends, family, and fans of the athletes come to The Bahamas, get hotel rooms, buy food and hire ground transportation, among other things. They spend money. Money that would have otherwise never made it to the Bahamas. And so the $5 million the government spends to host the event spills into millions of dollars in other economic activity and free promotion of the country. And with the recent increase in VAT and additional taxation on the Web Shop boys, does the government still have to shut the country down? Is the government's financial crisis worse than we are being told? And how much more additional revenue will the government need to make things right?

> "It just happens that we have had a terrible incident in our country within the last several days and we are still in a stage of inquiring answers to questions are not forthcoming and that can lead to speculation and I urge people not to speculate. It is an opportunity for my friend to raise some issues that his leader had by way of a press conference in the context of this debate. But I want to assure the Bahamian people that whatever the cause it will be determined."

And if it was due to negligence on the part of the operators, then they have to stand the consequences. And if it was discovered that anyone intentionally tampered with this boat and did something, causing the boat to explode and set ablaze, then those persons should be charged with murder, intent to commit murder, arson, willful destruction of property and any other charge that can be put on them. From the posts on this matter, it appears that there was serious tension between the various boat charter operators and calmer heads may not have prevailed.

The electrical lines may be above water, but they are also hermetically sealed (if installed properly) to prevent corrosion and to contain any spark that may occur in the line. Not claiming to be an expert but it is also unusual to get a high build-up of fuel in the bilge of a boat operating on outboard engines...and then to not detect the odor from the fumes.

Think Marlon Johnson thinking of running in the next election? he sure using his public appointment to keep his big nose in the media and in the people's faces, not to the amusement or favor of many.

five to six months delay in delivery and for such a long period...totally unacceptable!

When you see this economy rebound as it eventually will, the authorities will even forget that there was any such creature called ‘Shantytown . But today they are being used as a scapegoat to blame other social problems on. And even as the economy rebounds, most who seek refuge in these villages will move out and find traditional housing as their incomes increase. Let’s not forget that many Bahamian settlements grew out of shantytowns even from the time slavery was abolished. The freed slaves (Some of our forefathers) were not allowed to live in certain areas so they settled in places like Fox Hill and Sandilands village and Gambier and Adelaide. And since the freed slaves (some of out fore parents) had no prior income, they used whatever materials were available to build shelters for themselves. And yes they called it home, and didn’t have to worry about no bulldozers coming in the summers’ heat to scatter everything and make them homeless. And the church was almost always the strongest structure in the settlement. A shelter in a time of storm. Aren’t we so proud of how we let little invisible hands turn us against ourselves and destroy the very fabric of Bahamian civilization. Aren’t we proud?