Government must start some capital works projects both in New Providence and in the Family Islands. Not only to get money flowing into these communities but as n indication of confience in the economy. many of the infrastructure on many of the islands have fallen apart.

West End is not in the Freeport area and does not come under the GBPA

Grand Bahama is in desperate need of investment inflows. But in its haste to get things moving, government must be careful o avoid the problems that developed at Bah Mar or to sign on to investments that are not sustainable. With the US headed into a booming economy, there is no doubt that the Bahamas' economy will rebound within this year and the reviving of he Ginn project can be a good first start in getting Grand Bahama up and running.

ROGUE policing does not work. And if you wake an entire community at 5 am on a covert law enforcement exercise. the least,the police can do is show some respect and dignity. Not treat the entire community as criminals. We are actually getting back to the 1980's and '90's where young men are being dragged out of their homes and their vehicles, beaten and locked up and beaten some more and then released or charged with trumped up or petty charges depending on their attitude or frame mind after their excursion with the police. Then these persons must return home and smile it off. But not. They become angry and anti-social and eventually criminals and gang members. The problems we are facing now an a result of what was done in years prior. How long now before persons start dying in holding cells and police stations again? So let's wait and see how many of the 30 arrested will actually be charged with serious crimes.

One of the major indicators of the rise in shantytowns is that the cost of living for regular, ordinary working Bahamians has become too high. Persons cannot afford to live with the high costs of food, housing and utilities especially. This is manifested not only in the popular and rapid development of shantytowns but problems many landlords are facing collecting their rents. Tenants move in and by the third or fourth month their rent is in arrears. Then their electricity gets turned off. And by the time the landlord gets to court to have them evicted, they are owing more rent than they paid since they moved in. And some compare the Haitians to the Filipino. The major difference here is the Haitians try to live as a family. With one or two working and taking care a family. The Filipinos are usually single or they are hired as. Husband and Wife team. So when the employer does not provide housing or just an allowance, they can team up with another couple and afford apartments in Cable Beach or that type neighborhood. And then there I’d discriminati in housing in the Bahamas. Landlords who will rent to Filipinos doing maid work and landscaping will not rent to Haitians doing the same job. So to eliminate shantytowns the problems that are causing them to be created must also be addressed. This includes illegal immigration.

Some people light fires them come pretend to help the firemen put them out, but only to ensure that the damage they intended was done...he that have ears, let him hear

Tal russel, You have been writing in The Tribune for many years. if I had a son or daughter in school for the time you been writing in The Tribune and their command of the English language was to the level you try to prtend yours are, then I will not only removes them from theys school,but I's should sees to it that the ministrys shuts that school down with they's spare keys. ' By their fruits ye shall know them.'

> We have destroyed a nation. I believe
> that the sea level will rise faster
> than we can change for the better.
> There was a time on the Titanic,
> measured in minutes, when most
> sensible people realized it was time
> to get into the life boats.

Now the question is who does the "We" in this sentence refer to...don' let your lifeboat leave without you

I wouldn't be too quick to break out the confetti just yet. Too many variations to the story, even among the same media house. One station is reporting that six persons were taken into custody. Eye witnesses claim police ranshacked homes and arrested persons who happen to live in the area because they were using their camera phones, females included. then to think about what preceded this 'joint' raid.

There also needs to be a matching of skills training and qualifications with jobs availability. For example there were many additional hirings in the retail sector during December for the Christmas Holidays. Since most of these new hires were females, the unemployment rate for young women may already be in the single digits. But there is a lag in hirings for young males. The hirings in construction to repair post hurricane damage did not happen at the level that was expected because chose either to not complete repairs or to stagger the work over a longer period of time.