Absolutely agree Mr. Simms.
With title people could also use their property as collateral to borrow money to start a business or build a home.

Yes. But let us remember that we are still in the first wave. The same cavelier attitude is what is causing the huge spike in cases in the US.

We keep making a distinction between SOEs and the private sector. A business is a business. There can be justifications for giving incentives to businesses, publicly held or private, for many valid, socially useful reasons. The same expertise and talent that successfully runs any profitable private business could be had by governments anywhere, to run their (our) businesses. That we have politicized everything here, absolutely everything, is the sole reason why many, many enterprises here fail. Were a decent manager given the power to hire and fire according to performance, we would see an immediate turnaround of that enterprise. Remember now, what seems to be forgotten. You don't necessarily need Bahamian expertise alone, to benefit the greatest number of Bahamians. I am all for looking out for Bahamians, but haven't we had it all backwards, insisting on Bahamians to fill every position, regardless of qualifications or track record? Can anyone seriously argue this point? As well, the climate of political interference into every aspect of life here discounts and distorts the "level playing field" that should dictate how things are done fairly? How far do we have to go to illustrate this claim? Bank of Bahamas, btc, nib, Water and Sewerage corporation, and on and on. That we allowed ourselves to be so distracted by the false differences of the FNM and PLP is what has allowed us to lose sight of the ultimate goal; to make The Bahamas a better place for all Bahamians. At this point in time, who among us can say that The Bahamas has succeeded in this quest?

OK, I can go along with that, to an extent. For me, what separates thinking from dreaming is that there is a path to succeed in what is dreamed. The dreamers and thinkers are too often dead in their tracks, so to speak, here in The Bahamas. This is a fact. We do not have the moral, educational, nor social support to encourage our dreamers and thinkers to forge ahead and succeed. This is, in my mind, is part of what thinking is about. All success must be a team effort. There is a reason why many Bahamians do not come home after they receive their education abroad. It is more than the much larger salaries being offered abroad. Often, quiye often, it is because we do not provide the incentives to think and prosper. I can attest to this difference myself. But, your point is taken.

People the world over have discovered that education is the way out of many sticky situations in life. They discovered this many, many years ago. They raised their children to be doctors, lawyers, accountants. They didn't have much money, but knew that their children would benefit by an education. This story is told the world over. But, on Andros you can hardly find a book. Except one. But, even that one doesn't seem to have much use. Votes are still quite cheap; leadership just a word. Andros is also hampered by our neighbor to the north who use our waters to prepare for war, diverting our mail boats, our airplanes and our citizenry in our own national waters. People in Nassau don't see or feel this. AUTEC is a major stumbling block for our development, not just Chinese expansion. Andros will not be liberated by those in Nassau. Nassuvians have also taken their share and planted their seeds of repression, as well. Overall, I agree with your thesis Mr. Dupuch, but there is always more to the story, hey? And, you are quite correct that we do not need these massive investments/ giveaways of our land and treasures to see progress. Imagine if we had a government who truly wanted Androsians to prosper? Who actually wanted them to have crown land, to invest in and profit from their own heritage? We do not have a government like that. In any way shape or form. From the view on the ground, it seems that the central government is against the island of Andros becoming anything more than a sleeping giant. And, it seems that the powers that be in Nassau are quite content to have a place to hunt and fish, and do what they may, with no restrictions whatsoever.

Accountability means allowing the police to be ultimately policed by others, rather than themselves. As shown in the US, police unions are a major part of the problem. This is not just a problem in the police department. With no real freedon of information act, and virtually no accountability up and down the government, and a Prime Minister's office that has strong authoritarian tendencies, there is little hope for true justice in this country. While we may not have the racial divide in this country, anyone who says we have justice and accountability here is delusional. Our government can't even manage to count hundreds of dead bodies properly. And, when asked about it, what answers do we have? None!

I associate myself with many of the comments above

Absolutely agreed Bogart, both in terms of costs and for a better future.
One of the best ways to equalize the costs of living and to decrease the cost of doing business would be to immediately abandon Customs Duty as a way to raise revenue for this country. This whole system, though we have gotten used to it, contributes greatly to an extremely high cost of living and an extremely high cost of doing business. I am completely for finding ways to reduce this burden to both. Yet, the regressive and intrusive way we handle every item coming into this country is ludicrous. Now, having had first hand information as to how Customs is failing our people, I can say for sure that this system of raising revenue is holding our country back. Without doubt. Too many very talented people are forced into a terrible regime of make-work whereby the "opportunity costs" of these talented individuals are lost in efforts that do nothing to "produce" things of real value that benefit the economy of The Bahamas.or move this country forward utilizing our intellectual talent as the world forges ahead around us. We must do better. Morgan's Bluff has outstanding possibility. However, having spent a considerable amount of time there, I would hate to see the immense breath taking natural beauty destroyed to make way for industrial usage. Ecotourism should not be under estimated as a great way to preserve the natural resources while capitalizing on them at the same time. Coupled with a serious farming and cultural undertaking, it does not take a dreamer to see the very real potential here. But, it must be undertaken with the true history of the many ventures that have been proposed, and those which have actually succeeded in north Andros over the last couple of hundred years. Does Neville Chamberlain ring a bell?

Do you feel strongly about this topic?

Can the blame game go on forever? Bethel is showing himself as someone who is too much a part of the problem.