I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Dames on his early retirement from government and wish him the very best in his new choice of career as a comedian.

However, with the demonstrated ability here with this joke, he don't need any help or wishes from little old me.

Not worthy of comment.

I guess now we know the overall percentage (76%) over the past few decades of persons who have graduated from our publlic schools with a D average. The very same ones voting no on this poll with the phone in one hand and a dirty diaper in the other hand.

K.P. is 100% correct on every point he made.

Bogart you are also right in saying "Someting is not right that the Bahamian people must wait .....until the Opposition side of Govt is elected before corrections can be made...."

The problem is NO GOVT has the guts to make a Law allowing the shadow ministers of finance and foreign affairs full access to the loans, contracts, and treaties that the ruling government signs on behalf of your grandchildren.

You have to win the government and then go on a Easter egg hunt to find out what dirt was swept under which rugs during the prior 5 years.

This is shameful and cowardly.

Proudloud & Reality - i grew up in FPO until i went to college in late 80s then returned for 7 years - saw the writing on the wall and moved to Nassau.

I am, however, obviously an idiot. Go ahead and keep the road closed and encourage more government interference in Port Authority goals. That's what's been happening for much more than a decade.

But, who knows? Maybe it just needs time to pan out. Maybe try closing a few more roads, and adding a few more government obstacles to the Port Maybe that will bring even faster results. What do i know? Try it.

Talk to your people. Ask them to close 5 more roads and add 5 new fees, taxes, and regulations by month's end. Then we can all celebrate prosperity in July.

But wait!!!! Why bother with that? You suggest FPO never really sent much money to the Treasury anyhow. So it really doesn't matter. Let's raise VAT to 19. VAT 19. Sounds like it would go good with gingerale.

ProudLoud...that closed road is what put the Intnl Bazaar out of business and more recently Ruby Swiss a Freeport legend is now out of business. You must not know much about Freeport - or you are an enemy of Freeport.

Yes, road tax is charged on every island but it should not be charged on FREEport - otherwise change the name.

The amounts Freeport has been putting in the Treasury has fallen tremendously since 1987 when Government started its War on the Whites getting rid of Canadian and British teachers.

Now everybody has to pay VAT to make up the difference. But it feels so good to shout "Honky!!!" it makes up for lost wages so well.

RealityCheck .... that is nonsense "...Freeport present situation has more to do with the lack of visionary leadership on the part of the Port Authority..."

You need to ask why does a business need a government business license to operate in the Port Area. Ask why the road has not yet been reopened between Princess Tower & Princess Country Club. Ask why every shipping container that travels on "the queen's highway" has to pay $50 to govt. Ask why a certain airline has yet to pay one single landing fee in Freeport. Keep asking questions like these and soon you will discover it is not the Port creating the hold-up, but instead govt regulations and taxes.

"...why successive governments keep paying for people who can pay for themselves but are asking more of people who cannot afford more or even to pay?”

Because it would be nice if we could reduce the number of poor people. Poor people suffer from a disease called belly-swell-itis. They refuse to use preventive medicine or cure medicine for this serious ailment.

The more you help poor people - the more they refuse to improve their lifestyle. They just react by making even more poor people at PMH. If they were just barely feeding 5 children before you "helped" them, 19 months later they will be just barely feeding 7 children.

Then the govt subsidies have to grow even larger and VAT has to go up even more. It's a vicious cycle, and the churches won't allow sex education for these poor folks to learn how this happens. They are told "Babies come from God." Sorry folks, that was just that one time when Jesus was born. Hate to burst your bubble.

K.P. you are too smart for most Bahamians. Here is an alternative the numb-skull public might like:

Remove ALL duty, ALL VAT, and ALL fees of every kind for government services including business license, car license, and land sale stamp tax.

Allow no $US on the streets. All purchases abroad and via credit card and obtaining US currency for travel will exchange at 50%. One month prison and double the cash amount fine for anyone including foreigners caught with foreign currency. It must be converted to B$ on landing and can be converted back upon departure. Just like Cuba.

We can then be 100% tax free for all.

ThisIsOurs....no i won't go searching for it. When i prepare quarterly financials for my boss, i dont hide them in my desk drawer and tell him to "search for" them.

I expect the same coutesy from my employees in government.