Since 2007, cocaine seizures at
> California POEs have equaled or
> exceeded seizure totals at South Texas
> POEs; nonetheless, overall seizure
> totals remain lower than t Sinhe seizure
> totals recorded before the significant
> decline was noted. Although no single
> cause for the decline in overall
> seizures can be identified, multiple
> factors--including a sharp decline in
> cocaine production in 2008 (see Figure
> 7 in Cocaine section) and enhanced GOM
> counterdrug efforts--likely
> contributed to the decrease in amounts
> being transported from South America
> to Mexico and ultimately to the
> Southwest Border. Moreover, several
> exceptionally large seizures of
> cocaine destined for Mexico from South
> America in 2007 may have initiated the
> trend. These seizures coincide with
> the decline in seizures along the
> Southwest Border and were followed by
> an unprecedented decline in cocaine
> availability in many markets in the
> United States.

The easily verifiable facts do not bear out what you are trying to imply. The US is the major user of cocaine in the world. The DEA has cocaine listed as a less dangerous drug than marijuana. Less than 2 percent of drugs currently transited to the unites states pass through the Bahamas. And Bahamians are even involved to a lesser extent even drug trafficking even in the amount of drugs that are being trafficked through the Bahamas. This country is just a soft target. And DEA agents come here pretending to work while on extended vacations. Living on taxpayers money. new yorker's are the biggest coke heads of all. So how does cocaine get all the way to New York.. Blaming Bahamians again? amen. And the majority of cocaine is currently being smuggled thru california..not the bahamas..go learn it. Marijuana is grown, processed and sold legally in at least thirty states in the US. The war on drugs is actually a battle to save Tobacco and Alcohol companies as their products are on a serious decline, especially amongst the young generation. Generation Z.

"

> "Each year, the government estimates,
> over 300 tons of cocaine are smuggled
> into the country. Even more disturbing
> is that in each year since 1991,
> cocaine and crack use has risen." 300
> metric tons/year. What America's Users
> Spend on Illegal Drugs 1988-1998.
> Report from the ONDCP. December 2000.
> "According to the ..".
and
.
> "Researchers have been scouring rivers
> in Europe and the US for traces of
> cocaine consumption. The result:
> Cocaine use is probably much greater
> than previously assumed -- and New
> Yorkers are the biggest coke-heads of
> all."

furthermore

"

> 90 percent of cocaine coming to the
> U.S. during the first half of 2015
> made its way through the Mexico and
> Central America corridor. That number
> is up from 86 percent in 2014 and 80
> percent in 2010.2 Today, groups in
> Colombia produce 70 to 80 percent of
> the world’s cocaine, which is made
> from locally grown coca plants and
> from cocaine base imported from Peru
> and Bolivia. **Cocaine is listed as a
> Schedule II controlled substance**
> because it has medical use, but also
> has a high potential for abuse.3 The
> U.S. government agencies primarily
> responsible for apprehending cocaine
> traffickers are the U.S. Drug
> Enforcement Agency (DEA), Federal
> Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs
> Service, U.S. Border Patrol, and the
> U.S. Coast Guard. The price of powder
> cocaine in the United States varies
> greatly by location, and is less
> expensive in those areas closest to
> the hubs of drug smuggling and
> criminal activity. The United States
> has spent approximately $100 billion
> annually over the past decade on
> illicit drugs.4"
and
.
>

FYI China is silently moving into the rest of the Caribbean and establishing relationships with those countries. While the US has been hostile and bullying its neighbors China is establishing relationships that are mutually beneficial to both countries. China needs trading partners and while each country may be small, the Caribbean has great economic power trading as a block. America has forgotten how to Love it’s neighbors. Just look at the numerous travel alerts it puts out about the Bahamas at the start of every high tourist season. How many Americans have lost their lives to violence in the Bahamas or even been injured? Our banking system has been dismantled and our young men has been labeled as potential terrorists or organizers of drug cartels. China realizes that there must be harmony to have a good trading partner. You cannot stagnate a country’s economy and still expect it to support yours. And even when Bah Mar was being built China agreed to send guests to keep the hotels occupancy up. America penalizes its companies and organizations that have their meetings and conventions in countries like The Bahamas. Point (no not Pointe) to one major investment The Us has done in The Bahamas over the last 20 years.

If China throws us a lifeline we must grab on to it and hold tightly on to it. And if their tourist market is a lucrative one., we must tap into it. China is also a trading partner with both Canada and the United States so there is no conflict. But this country must look beyond the United States to jump start our economy and get it moving. Otherwise we will cycle into another recession and face another decade of doom and gloom.

This was an infamous strategy of the *white* boys over the decades. Whenever anything is successful and they are not involved or not benefiting from it they will seek to destroy it, to tear it down. Just check the history. And the war on drugs is more or less a fight to protect the Alcohol and tobacco industries that have been on a decline for the past decades for at least a decde. Be careful they don't try to declare The Bahamas a failed state and try to take over its government. remember the country has oil, salt, aragonite and a lucrative air space among other things. That's how serious this is. and don't forget what they attempted to do to bBahamians when Bill clinton was president. We forget, they never forget.

And herein lies a problem :

> The plan is to design buildings that
> are modern 21st century so we have an
> opportunity to modernise the downtown
> area by building something on the
> property that is purpose-built."

.
There are at least 12 or more buildings in the downtown area, commonly referred to s The Dirty Dozen, that the owners wanted to demolish and replace with modern buildings or other structures. They were told that these buildings had historical value and were protected and therefore could not be demolished. One such building stands in front of the former Betty K. property. Another was completely gutted and defaced on the outside, hopefully with the hopes that the owner would be allowed to tear it down, but it still stands. So the question is then, will the Revitalization of Bay Street and downtown encompass the restoration of old and historic buildings to maintain the Ole'Nassau experience, or will older buildings be scrapped for modern buildings changing the entire landscape of, at least Bay Street. then what is being done with the old City Markets building at the foot of the hill on Market Street? this building was purchased under the Ingraham government and efforts were underway to convrt it to an office complex when his government lost the Election.Then the Christie government came in and abandoned the project saying they would convert the building into a multistory complex.. it has sat idle ever since...or was the building purchased under the Christie government prior to Ingraham's second term? maybe it was because it was a PLP transaction.

First of all, there is only ONE Bahamas and with almost 1,000 cruise ships currently under construction, the days of the Bahamas going out to beg cruise lines to bring their cruise ships here are a thing of the past. Secondly, those cruise ships that do come here and their crew tell them not to shop in The Bahamas or even not to bring money off the ship and also those who do not allow straw work on their ships must be eliminated from the Bahamas route. Let them dump their garbage and their sewerage elsewhere! And finally the government must pump more millions into the downtown, Junkanoo Beach and Montagu areas to ensure that the cruise ship experience is as good as staying in any major hotel in the country, the beaches are always clean, safe and accessible. The downtown area was killed dead when hotels decided to go all inclusive or find even deceptive ways to keep their guests on campus. To rebuild downtown around cruise ship passengers they ships will have to spend more than a few hours in port. Night life must be unique and since most cruises provide their passengers with up to seven feedings a day, food must be unique, exotic but yet inexpensive. And since there is now no shortage of cruise ships or passengers, yes the cruise port experience must be one that draws passengers off the ships, enticed them to spend money and encourages them to return as repeat visitors. And you cannot just fix downtown and leave it. It has to be a constantly evolving and regenerating creature.

the chinese are coming! Will the Bahamas be ready? In just two short years over 200 million Chinese will leave the boarders of their Homeland and travel abroad, many as tourists to far-away destinations like The Bahamas. For the first time in history, the number of Chinese traveling to foreign countries will exceed Americans who are expected to number 160 million in 2020. And unlike Americans, most Chinese will be traveling to their destinations by are and they will have much more to spend, on average than regular tourists. This is an excellent time for The Bahamas to wean itself off the US economy and the dependence on the US dollar. Chinese tourists love history and culture as opposed to entertainment and excitement and also enjoy seafood including conch. And the State run China Airlines is currently testing a narrow body long range aircraft than can travel nonstop to destinations like the Bahamas. In fact China has entered into an eight billion dollar partnership with Russia to develop wide body aircraft to enter into direct competition with Boeing , Lockheed and other major aircraft manufacturers. The first 100 Chinese wide body jets are expected to cost some 3 Trillion Dollars and are planned to start flying in a decade. So with at least three of its major properties owned and/or managed by Chinese, D’Agular must start pumping marketing dollars into the Chinese markets and making sure the tourist products are retrofitted to include Chinese. They also love electronics and may prefer Junkanoo for its culture over Carnival.

So what causes mass shootings like in schools and even in the work place @ joeblown

Joe blown fuse: get a life!