Not fatalistic at all. I listen to the conversations around local govt and the scariest thing for me is that the proponents have such confidence that once you put power *in the hands of the people*, everything will change. I think this is the same 1967 approach. What we actually found was the people who were *just like us* ended up acting just like the oppressors. My advocacy is to get the environment right. The biggest is financial accountability with penalties that have teeth so people know its not ok to give the landscaping contract to my cousin, just because he's my cousin, its not ok to fast track the crown land approval for the man who worked really hard on my campaign. These practices have to be abolished if we're to get anywhere. Otherwise all we'll do is change the faces of the abusers

I looked it up and its quite amazing. The IRS offers a whole bunch of avenues before they come looking for your tings. They first offer a 180 payment plan, if that doesnt work a monthly payment plan, if that doesnt work you can even ask if they can reduce your tax burden because its too much or financial hardship, if that doesnt work you can apply to delay the payment and they also say **it is important to contact us* (the phones dont work here and noone responds to email... but anyway..). They say that because they realize communication is the most important thing. @bonefish still dont get it

Maybe they offer all of this already but their strongman messaging has just been bad

The issue isnt that taxes are bad, even though noone likes them, the issue is our administrations have shown over and over again that they are terrible at realizing the benefits put forward in the "*theoretical*" papers. VAT was supposed to eliminate customs duties. It all sounded good. Not only didnt it do that, it doubled **and** customs duties remained **and** taxes and fees increased everywhere.

Our problem is we have no ethical framework in which to run these systems. On the surface it seems like an unrelated issue.

Ive heard people say things like whats wrong with accepting a nice watch, whats wrong with taking a plane ride, whats wrong with taking money from the company Im supposed to be regulating, and when *good* people dont see the dangers in that, no tax/revenue collection system will ever work. Because we will use that tax revenue over and over again to hand away to people and companies who give us favour as opposed to people and companies who give best value for the dollar. And we will forever be in a cycle of we dont have enough.

Local govt is another "*good*" system that is doomed without changing us. All it will do is spread the number of people willing to silence voices, because you "*irritated*" me and I have the power, spread the number of people handing contracts to people they know and like and spread the number of people looking to benefit from access. Not because its a bad system, but because it has no ethical framework in which to run. Ethics can be legislated to a certain point but it needs a mindset shift as well.

We been over this before.... but.. Ive seen the light. you right and the PM wrong. Put electrodes on their gonads until they cough up money.

I think this is bad. Should the FNM get in power you can be assured that all forward movement on Cat Island and Exuma will cease and a slew of announcements on Abaco development will begin. Leaders need to stop using their power to funnel money to their constituencies to bolster their chances of reelection and start and maintain a country strategy, starting with the immediate ban on sale of land to foreign interests in our family islands and the immediate ban on closed access to beach front property. Let the beaches be accessible to everyone and encourage responsible use

It's actually a pretty visionless move, imagine spending money on the people who thought youd be bad news and letting them see how good your govt was for them.

The statement from the minister of environment was irresponsible and clear pandering. I dont know who really believes the govt will pass a law to physically castrate anybody. Chemical castration is possible but that would require someone to pay for medication and someone to take medication. We cant even get people to charge ankle bracelets.

Also legal limits are one thing. The unfair distribution of justice is another. **In the crime section, a young man was sent to prison for alledged attempted rape. He's had no trial conclusion, he's not been found guilty, but he's in prison**. Meanwhile the police have been dotting eyes and crossing tees for over a month now on another alledged rape but that involving a sitting MP.

It is odd. Its the 2nd time he's done it, maybe the fifth. All could be avoided if he either takes and keeps control or if he handed the job to a qualified reasonable thinking person

"*We recognised there are limited vehicles*"

Different day...

The cars will be destroyed in another year. Crime is imcreasing. The criminal mind is deteriorating. Added to that saturation patrols are not scalable and theyre not sustainable. Thats where we start from, the solution comes next.

The general sentiment is true, the real masters are the ones who make the most profit. They redirect profits by charging business lines for services from other business lines, its technically then an expense

When are we going to eliminate customs duties like the WHITE paper said would happen 10 years ago once VAT was introduced? I dont believe for a second that they intend to eliminate anything. Whatever they introduce, businesses will pay what they paying now, plus.