Hey you are very welcome. I am nobody special - just a concerned citizen like you. What do you think about the "Spend No Money Day" ? Can we pick a date in April and try get the word out? If successful we can do one every month until we get and FOIA and they stop borrowing international funds.

You can contact me securely and privately at:

https://forms.hush.com/tmh

You do not need to provide your e-mail address on the form, but if not then I don't know how I would be able to reply to you. Perhaps you could create your own form too.

Let's get something rolling.

**TheMadHatter**

Look - maybe there isn't a Secrecy Act. When I was in Government, I had to sign an agreement that I would obey General Orders - which I later found out were not available for me to even read. The General Orders that you see online are only partial. I have seen some paragraphs from other sections that are not available to even many govt workers.

My point is, however, that instead of fooling around arguing whether there is a Secrecy Act, determining how many other laws it may affect so that funding from those departments cannot be fully revealed etc etc etc and wasting tons of time - why not instead (first) work toward a Law that says that the amount of all funding going into VAT (maybe even categorized by business type (food, gas, hotel, etc), and the amount of funding going out of VAT to where and how much and on what dates and by whose request and by whose approval MUST be reported online. I'm sure there are no laws currently that affect VAT info - so why don't we strike while the irons' hot as they say and do something that is perfectly doable instead of trying to do something very very difficult and complaining that we can't do it and therefore getting nothing done.

We need to organize a "Spend No Money Today" strike in April. We all agree not to spend a dime that day (except for medical emergencies). That's not a strike - everyone goes to work - just the cashier girls will pretty much get a free ride that day - LOL.

**TheMadHatter**

Why didn't Knowles & Lightbourne show up to one of the radio stations every day during this appeals process and keep saying publicly that "The Appeals Committee refuses to meet with us to hear our evidence."

They should have been out there saying that every day. Inviting the Committee to come on the radio and announce the date and time that they CLAIM they invited the two of them to appear before them.

Knowles & Lightbourne should be saying now that they never got an invite - if that is true.

Also - of over a million dollars - why can't they give the media even one example of one withdrawal from the pension fund - where/what it was spent on - and state clearly that that expenditure was not approved in AGM or by the executive committee.

Can't they think of even one example? Come on guys - just one, please. State the date and amount of the withdrawal and state clearly that that specific withdrawal was not approved for the purpose of building the new Freeport building or whatever Wilson is claiming.

Break a big problem down into small pieces and fight it one at a time.

**TheMadHatter**

I would say it's like flushing money down the toilet - but then, they don't have any toilets there right?

**TheMadHatter**

Just remember when you're being "totally screwed" that the Pope just say today that you don't have to "breed like rabbits". Yeah, he did say that.

**TheMadHatter**

"John Rolle, the VAT Comptroller and Ministry of Finance’s financial secretary, confirmed to this newspaper last week that this was vital to foster private sector confidence in the new tax regime’s efficiency.?

This is where the dude has it backwards.

If you operate the new tax and its roll-out with efficiency - then the private sector will have confidence in it. Instead he is putting the cart before the horse. Of course, he is a Govt worker so nothing different is expected of him.

**TheMadHatter**

Instead of pushing for a Freedom of Information Act - which requires adjustment of dozens of other acts to get around the Govt Secrecy Act - We just instead demand that we get info ONLY on where the VAT money goes - at least as a first step. Let's cross that bridge and then worry about an overall FOIA.

Anybody want to plan a "Don't spend a dollar today" (sort of strike" for some time in April in order to protest VAT not being used to pay down debt?

**TheMadHatter**

This is a good thing. I think if somebody does happen to spot a tourist in Freeport, they should hurry up and make everyone else "aware" of it.

**TheMadHatter**

When you try to compete with rice eaters, you have to learn to eat rice.

**TheMadHatter**

"Dr Hubert Minnis vowed that his party is looking at ways to repeal certain categories of the tax, if it is elected to office. These categories include breadbasket items, children’s clothing and utilities."

Doesn't he understand that these are exactly the main categories that need vat? People need to cut down on needing so much children's clothing and having so many children and feeding them cheap garbage food, and they also need to learn how to use a thermostat on an air condition. I cannot tell you how many times I walk into someone's home or a store and see the A/C set at 60 or 65 degrees - the minimum. People should instead be aware that 77 is a very comfortable temperature (compared to 95 outside in summer) and saves a heck of lot more money compared to 60deg.

But, if you want to keep the people poor and stupid - then his plan is a very good one.

**TheMadHatter**