"Last year, the country saw a decline in suicides, but a significant rise in attempted suicides."

Without question, this is the case.
The only way forward, in my opinion, is to continue to rally around these important issues and stick with it, encouraging a wider debate among our people.
Those of us who speak up and speak out are targeted by our government. This is unfortunate. For our own government is eliminating the possibilities for positive, non violent change.
At some point, as history clearly shows, when the people have nothing to lose..........................
Bahamians will be no different.
The political class has become the criminal class.
I guess we're not that special, after all.
Thanks for speaking up.

With all due respect, the rise in the overall cost of living in the world is very much a product of privatization.
I grew up in the US where all national enterprises managed to keep administrative costs to a minimum, services reasonably priced, while allowing for healthy competition.
Once privatized, most every business seeks to maximize profits by ANY means possible. They do not care about providing good service. Period.
Most of these means translate into mere financial considerations, with absolutely no regard for the social consequences of their actions.
Monopolization, stock buy backs solely to benefit the share holders, cutting back on services and reducing customers ability to file complaints, and on and on.
I have heard this call for privatization for far too long as if it is some magic bullet.
Clearly, to any honest educated person, it simply hasn't worked.
Mr. Don, since BTC has been privatized we have seen a rapid and certifiable decline in advertised services, customer service and almost zero accountability. URCA was supposed to help hold BTC to account.
An unmitigated failure.
Since BTC has closed our BTC Family Island office, I have been trying to get them to correct my own account which I found that BTC has been double billing, by their own admission.
They are quick to call you to tell you to pay your bill from their offices in Jamaica, but refuse to correct their mistake. I refused to pay my bill until they resolved "their" admitted mistake. They shut off my service. I still have received no resolution from BTC, not even a response from URCA.
Privatization my arse.

Tribune,
You could fill an entire newspaper with the Family Islands healthcare woes and substandard services and infrastructure, such as clinics..
I've been reading your paper, The Tribune, for years now.
Have you?
The only answer seems to be in eliminating the rampant corruption and theft by reason of politics.
It appears to me that both political parties are full of immoral selfish thieves.
Might not be pleasant to hear, but prove me wrong.

"The administration pledged not to raise taxes last year as well, but the government still introduced a budget that increased numerous fees."
So, would the Tribune be out of place to call these people liars?
Why not?
So, why do you continue to interview and publish words from proven liars?
Get with it Tribune.
This criminal administration is made up of liars.
This is not me saying this.
This is your own paper saying this.
No shame Tribune?

Interesting article.
Sad that we can't put 2 and 2 together sometimes.
We wonder why the social situation is spiraling downward in this country, yet, see this abandonment of our children on a nationwide basis is something we should accept.
And, even when we say we don't accept it, it is beyond rampant and commonplace in this country.
With poor guidance, which is worse than no guidance sometimes, children are being raised with no moral strictures whatsoever. Yet, we keep asking what is happening that rapes are up, murders are up and why the social fabric in this country is unraveling.
We often turn to the church, which in my opinion, offers little better alternative, given the ignorance, duplicity, sweethearting, materialistic money loving nature of far too many pastors to offer a real solution.
And, given that children need people around them they can trust, I fully understand this child's reaction of running away from the police.
Where does a child turn in this country, to find, truly find, someone they can trust?

Sometimes it is important to see and hear a person in assessing their sincerity and honesty.
And, other times a picture is worth a thousand words.

Did the reporter not hear the story of the fox and the hen house?

Continued growth in the medical field means cancer.
We will continue down this road, just like Kenya just did.
Our entire economic paradigm is like magic.
Once the magician leaves the room, the magic is over.
No matter how many brilliant experts we bring in, the failures remain quite evident.
It is important to have people who are good at playing with words, as numbers.
Don't worry. All is well here. Our politicians always have the people's best interest at heart.
They are excellent money managers and well educated in economics.
And, they are honest and never steal or require kickbacks.
And, as long as we continue to grow, like the experts tell us we should, we'll have no problems.
Rising crime, security systems, increased hospital visits, and other non-productive expenses all contribute to economic growth.
So, we should be just fine.

That was a mouthful Mr. Edwards.
Where will you be 15 years?