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 ?.

I don't like the idea of a Vat hike any more than anyone else but bear in mihd that in the UK it is 20%. That said never heard the critics complain when the PLP had a continious hiring spree, exorbitant contracts given without bids, a 7 million + hole in Palmetto Pojnt for a hospital that the country coild never afford and on and on. Face facts this country is deep in debt and painful medicine now may if the revenue is properly spent reap benefits down the road. Times are tough yes but try living in Greece or Italy where national debt is beyond belief. In the UK May 29th was the first day of the calender year where the ciitizen worked for himself . In other words the average citizen worked to pay taxes for for almost 5 months. One final point despite Mr know it all Davies the PLP would have had to do the same or reserve rooms for the IMF.

What is it about Davies and Fred and all the other ex PLP MP's that they have the laughable gall to talk about extra taxes when they are totally responsible for the terrible financial state of the economy. What worries me is that the FNM will need to do some drastic pruning financially and whilst that is necessary it will open the gates to the uneducated who want instant gratification and will vote PLP in the next election. Like all maladies medical or financial you can only put off treatment for so long and failing that the IMF will dictate PLP or FNM.

The whole system is screwed from PMH to family island clinics. Promotions based on who you know, corrupt practices like selling Goverment medication privately, pathetic man management
And more. Good nurses are demoralised .

Why are we paying these incompetent managers? Fuel hedging or buying in advance (the airlines do it) makes so much sense when the price of oil was so low and even an imbecile would see that it had to rise in the future but " were working on it". Yes but you have missed a golden opportunity.

As in education promotion often has nothing to do with reliability, hard work, going the extra mile but rather who you know, or who knows you. On one family island a classroom teacher who openly used the F word on her class,would storm out and refuse to teach them,never held any post such as senior or master teacher,senior mistress suddenly becomes a Vice Principal. And now is in school every day unlike when she had to teach.you guessed it she was related to a Educator in a prominant position.

Speak up my arse. Most Principals are wanabe dictators who immediately forget what it was like in the classroom and have only one way - their way.