No sir. I said 'your points are accurate". Your point seems to be that people could stand to take a bit more personal responsibility and look out for themselves. We should not expect someone (esp. Government) to save us, cause if we know anything in this country, it is that that ain't gonna happen. They already crying poor mouth about they can't find no food money for January, yet they still got those multimillion dollar projects lined up. I've heard at least 3 of them so far in around June. Where those millions coming from?
You are correct, and you are correct. I have so much respect for everyone on here. Even Tal has made some wonderful comments over the last 9 months. We all know that at any time the police could demand our identities from the newspaper and any of us could experience the fish-bagging (which I often speak of) or other things first hand. Nobody would save us. Every year the USA puts out a human rights report which says all kinds of bad things about us, and yet they do nothing to help us. They still allow the ships to leave their ports stocked with lumber and supplies to build this nation of which their report speaks. Sen. Rubio speaks often about the Chinese takeover of our country, and yet .... ? What? Nothing. My hope is that Bahamians learn to obtain nourishment from talk, because that seems all we are being fed.

We need a bankruptcy act, so that people can be freed from all debt every 7 years just like in the USA. To do that, you have to have no assets and near zero income. It is a tough standard to meet. You can't just "claim" be poor and destitute, you actually have to be.

This would help raise up our brothers and sisters out of poverty and also send a message to predatory banks and lenders to stop taking advantage of the poor. Don't give loans to people who can't pay and then haul them to court.

Of course, so many bankers and lawyers and MPs are cut from the same cloth and benefit from the status quo, that this would never happen. The poor can still be targeted by placing cars in the mall and putting balloons on them. Also, the rich love to propagate the myth that it is better to buy a home than to rent. Oh yeah. Sure it is - LOL. Anything to get you into debt so you become a puppet on their strings.

The IMF is singing their standard song here. The motive seems to be to discourage wealthy persons from coming to live and work in the Bahamas, by taking away any tax savings they may realize.

Income tax is a non-starter here. The main reason is we have so many who do not report and/or under-report their incomes. We have a whole mass of people who pay no NIB whatsoever. The beauty of VAT is that those suckers have to pay as well. The downside is, yes, the poor pay disproportionately.

Perhaps if we remove that $60,000 real estate ceiling, and remove the NIB pay ceiling, and increase the % paid by persons making above some amount of money to NIB, and also increase the NIB % overall (but not as much as for the high earners) - then we can reduce VAT to 10% and remove from it all of the exemptions. There is no reason that certain items should be VAT free. Food, medicine, everything should incur VAT. The flat rates of "VAT" on gas and diesel should also be removed and replaced with the regular 10% VAT. Also a minimum rate of gasoline and diesel prices should be established (such as $4.00/gallon (perhaps) and anytime they dip below that, the difference should be collected as tax - so that government gets a windfall of income.

The truly sad story here though, is that people will plan and scheme to the best of their ability not to pay taxes as long as they have no idea where this money is going. Accountability is key, and that is sorely missing in this country. Money just seems to disappear. Whatever happened to that plan to have ZNS television display public information items from midnight to 6am? Oh, yeah, the "Keep the People Ignorant" policy probably got in the way of that.

I just did the quick once shake, Tal.

"“We had a full turnout, more than we anticipated,” Mr Huyler said. “We were supposed to start at 12ish. However, at quarter to five this morning we had lines to the street on Thompson Boulevard wrapping around and I think the police made the call (for us to start) so we could get the people off the street. We had to reroute everything in here so we could get them off the street.”"

As is the normal in the Bahamas - a government cover-up in action. WHY get the people off the street? Were they afraid news helicopters from Miami news stations would show up? Probably. Don't want potential tourists to think they might be visiting Ethiopia.

We are a poor 4th world nation. It does no good to hide that fact. You can only solve a problem when you admit you have. Check out any 12 step program like AA.

Also, I wonder if the volunteers in these NGOs are still paying the $300 work permit. You think any more people coming to help us if they have to pay $300 for the privilege? Now the power lines have to be paid for in Abaco by us, when a company from Calif was coming to fix them for free. Wow. No word to describe that kind of thinking.

Save out of what money? These people have no food man. Your points are accurate, just not well timed. You also talking about the majority in the country working minimum wage jobs. By the time you buy some corned beef and grits, pay your bus fare, by laundry soap and put quarters in the laundry machines, what you think you got left? Companies know people ain't got no choice so they don't mind paying minimum wage job. You either accept minimum or accept zero. A certain former well known company at the FPO Harbour used to be a high ranking well paying source of good jobs. Now they pay with butt kick, and a weekly changing day of work schedule so that you can't even hold down a second job - cause you cant tell your second boss that you are free on Wednesdays (for example).
Those who think we have been freed from slavery really need a wake up call. Yet, every year on July 10th I see dancing in the streets. The slaves seem to be very happy.

You really think any police officer wants his/her picture on Facebook, seen ticketing a starving person seeking food?

In some cases it is silly loyalty - yes - but in MANY cases it is loyalty because you need a job or need to keep your job. Lots of people get/keep jobs due to the "kindness" of their MP. People also see the number on their voting ballots and so are not stupid and know that their votes can be tracked to see who they voted for. Nobody who has a job from the "graces" of one Party is going to risk standing in a food line by voting for another Party.

You words are truly brought to life by the most recent story of Douglas Ngumi who "stayed alive" for six years experiencing our land of paradise.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2020/nov…

I also disagree with Mr. Evans, but I cherish his freedom to express his views. Only if we allow all persons to speak, and we are open to considering their ideas might we someday (probably by accident) stumble upon a solution to the terrible tragedy which is the human condition.

Bahamians and Americans live in a nice little bubble, protected from what goes on all around the world. I could tell you stories of things that happen in South America, and in the eastern counties (far east) that would likely make you vomit right where you stand. However, they are not suitable to be mentioned in this format. The US media certainly does an excellent job of turning a blind eye to them.

Consider for example how the entire issue of COVID on the African continent and how it is being dealt with over there (they have a VERY low fatality rate and low case count), is not at all covered in the US media. Close living quarter, lack of clean water for hand washing? Why is Africa not really suffering from COVID-19? I encourage you to do some research on that. I would mention it here, but I would not want to suffer the consequences of mentioning the name of the medicine they use. The very mention of it, brings forth a great wrath.

Free speech is a valuable thing, and the lack of it (such as in the latter case) can even lead to death. I wish the best to Mr. Evans and hope that free speech continues with us into the future. I also hope that he will someday consider that some of the wording in the Bible may have been mistranslated and perhaps our Father in Heaven is not one who burns his own children in eternal fire. If we truly believe that, then why don't we legalize it here on Earth? If someone's children misbehave can they pour gas on them and set them on fire? Why not? I've heard it's a Godly practice.