Remember how well your party hid all the debts, no bid contracts, wasteful projects like the hospital in central Eleuthera so no wonder unpleasant action has to be taken. I also believe that hhad your bunch of incompetent representatives been re-elected then you would have had two choices,firstly continue like before and run abroad with your assets or bring in VAT at 15%. If I as a Bahamian ran my financial affairs like you all did with our money then I would have been in court a long time ago.Please explain Mr Cooper why all the 7.5% VAT money was just wasted nd not used for its intended purpose Yes 12% VAT is a bitter pill to swallow along with all the other increases but the alternative is devaluation, downgrading and IMF intervention.

The answer to these financial problems that have accrued over years is one that cannot be solved by tax rises by themselves but what would make me feel better is some of the persons be they Ministers or Permanent secretaries going to jail. There has to be a paper trail where large wasteful projects have failed like the 7 million + pile of hospital curry in Palmetto Point.

That is a joke surely. Are you proposing that teachers pay a license to work?Maybe in regard to your second statement it would be better to get rid of all the Cuban teachers who have no real interest in anything but going home with as much cash and electronics as possible, Fire some of the incompetent Principals, advertise senior positions where qualified Bahamians have a chance of promotion as opposed to having the position already filled because of cronyism . Good classroom teachers often languish with no hope of promotion simply because their face does not fit.

It seems very unfair to heap all the blame on the 1 year old FNM given the reckless spending of the previous administration and unpaid bills that they left behind. That being said the added imposition of VAT will increase operating costs of the mailboats thereby increasing freight charges and therefore negating any savings on VAT free bread basket items. However I do not have the answer , maybe one of the regular critics/contributors could enlighten us as to a method of paying down the national debt, reducing the size of government without a backlash and not increasing the cost of living.

Why does it take a tragedy to get people off their backsides to donate. The average daily donation to the PMH blood bank are well below what is needed.

The web shop owners are making millions off the backs of so many Bahamians who have become addicted .That said given the frequent "give aways" held by the web shop operators it is obvious they can afford more taxation. These freebee days are just emotional blackmail to paint a rosy picture. It also defies commonsense that a National lottery has not been implemented so that properly run the total proceeds go towards the National debt.

Maybe to offset this rise which was necessary in my opinion, legislate that gratuities in retaurants are voluntary and not mandatory. This 18% added to a bill whether the service is good or bad is wrong and as things stand will add 30% to a meal. By giving the customer control it will reduce the meal cost after tax and most customers will have the choice of tipping. It is blatantly unfair that the tip is a fixed percentage based upon how much you spend.

So in August a meal out will have 30% added to the bill.18 % + 12%.

Without drastic action you may get your wish. What is your sooution?

Actually he is talking commonsense. It is you who have your head buried inthe sands of denial. That being said can you offer a non painful method of solving the pre existing financial mess that the FNM inherited ?.