YES and this was done with Bah Mar almost fully operational. Let’s hope it is sustainable for a year or two and the benefits trickle down to all levels of the Bahamian economy.

And now there’s forecast for early activity in the hurricane season. There may be a tropical development as early as next week.

Well they’ve been fighting like hell to get oil up to $100 a barrel ever since the market collapsed. And there is no shortage of oil or alternative fuels. If fact pill finds in the billons of barrels haven found in The Caribbean, South America, Syria and other Middle Eastern countries. And there’s still restrictions on Russian oil.. The Bahamas had several years to reduce its dependence on oil for energy. It did nothing. At least motorists have switched to fuel efficient vehicles. The little Japanese gremlins can be seen all over Cable Beach and even in Old Fort Bay and Lyford Cay now.

Actually most of the footwork for this was done under the former minister for aviation. But Dionisio deserves credit for following through and getting it completed... finally. Now will this money go into the consolidated fund and go the way of VAT or will it be air marked for special projects.

I guess y’all miss one point. Despite the report saying that the force is top heavy due to the PLP’s Election Promotion, it also says that the force ALSO needs an additional 700 plus constables to carrying out its mandate of protecting the Bahamian people and Tal Russel’s Bahamaland. So while it was all nice and good that Mr. Marvin Dames can tell us about the promotions that Bahamians done know about Bahamians want to know what his plans are moving forward. How does he plan to address the shortage of 700 plus constables and when he gone stop he police dem from beating up on people innocent chirren. And did the good minister say how much this report cos the Bahamian people..to tell them mostly wat dey already know... and Day da police is beat up on people innocent chirren dem.

And then taxpayers ride past that building every day. The one next to the Paul Adderley Building. All painted and paved and landscaped...But sitting idle and empty?

If you follow the results of the recent census it reveals that most of the residents in the shanties are residents with status, some on work permits and others are Bahamian. Only a smaller percentage od the shanty town residents are illegals.

Does this come as a surprise? That the majority of residents in the shanty’s have status. Some seem to forget that this country experience 10 solid years of economic hardship. And that is what some residents have been reduced to. Living in the shantytowns. Otherwise homeless. And Social Services effort to get some of these persons into rental units will be mostly fruitless because once they move in they have no means of paying the rent or utilities. So the process has to be a gradual one. And if the economy does not get better the numbers in the shantytowns will continue to increase.

So since governments seems to be following a lot of the policies of the former government, including the spy bill, shanty town eradication, crackdown on illegals , which may be a sign of maturity, what about the small homes assistance program? Many persons in Bain and Grants Town and Centerville and Englerston and even in some Family Island communities are living in far worse conditions than those people in the shantytowns. The roofs are caving in on some homes and the floors are completely gone in others. Water and electricity are foreign and, in many cases, persons displaced from the shantytowns will end up in these same communities and the same dwellings.

So how many young men have the police already picked up, beaten and falsely accused of this crime? The country cannot allow the police force to continue operating like an outlaw gang where they prey on young men in the pretense of solving crime and physically and verbally abuse them leaving some damaged and scarred for life. The law says innocent until proven guilty but for some their experience with the police and legal system is ‘guilty until proven innocent.” Marvin Dames and the police force need to invest in more training for his officers, especially in the areas of interrogation and crime investigation. Beating young men half to death in 2018 when they have done no crime is making more individuals antisocial .