It's very odd that they had this remembrance ceremony a day after the event. It is beyond odd. Meanwhile the families gathered together on the day. Its insulting.

Here is the problem...

During the tourism boom of 2024, Chester Cooper and the Ministry of Tourism claimed that the record number of tourist arrivals were all due to the brilliant strategies they had devised and effort they had put in. Anyone looking on could tell nothing had changed. Further the evidence was clear that the tourism boom had nothing to do with the Bahamas and was a push from a mass of customers who just wanted to go "somewhere". As luck would have it, God had placed us in a really convenient location, centuries ago and had given us beautiful waters. Coincidentally, the boom was happening simultaneously everywhere in the world.

But... let's go with their argument based on that, now that tourism growth is stagnating, is it conversely "*their fault*"?

The story does indicate that while down, the decline in 2025 stopover tourists is moderate. The real concern here is not so much the one year decline, but the downward trend over years. We also need to start highlighting the split between persons who are entering the Bahamas "*in name only*", staying at private cays and ports that have nothing to do with us, by design. After 50 years someone must realize the minimum wage job/concession strategy is faulty.

I found it somewhat amusing as one caller to a talk show pointed out that the opening of celebration key has turned lucaya into even more of a ghost town only for another caller to rebutt that you cant please some people.

**Until we discover an equitable Bahamian based economic driver, the Bahamas will forever be the fight between the overall reality and the people who've managed to hold onto a bowl of mutton soup.**

I just dont get it. Intelligent people who want to convince the entire population that an entire drug smuggling operation could be launched from the Bahamas and not one single person in authority said, "*yall know what going on down there? Go check that out*". Nobody know nuttin. Besides Gormon I guess...

cnn.com today

"*The United States “conducted a lethal strike” against an alleged “drug vessel” in the southern Caribbean, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday*"

"*The move represents a significant escalation by the Trump administration against drug cartels, a number of which the administration has designated as foreign terrorist organizations.*"

Forewarned.

I think birdie missed the fact that there was a very very lengthy investigation into allegations around drug operations in the Bahamas. Many "I dont recalls" were spoken in response to questions on the absolutely inexplicable. As the article stated:

"*one commissioner, Bishop Drexel Gomez, dissenting to say he could not accept that all of the payments* (in Pindlings bank account) *were unrelated to drug trafficking.*"

**A household expenditure that grew at eight times Pindlings salary??** Something Pindling was likewise literally incapable of explaining? The wife living in the house had to ask some questions, **isnt that what we ask today of mothers of young boys who bring home expensive goods with no evidence of working for them?** The "*well he was never convicted*" also reminds me of the statement from Brave Davis on the active US indictment, ~"*notice the indictment says the politician asked for 2million* (to facilitate cocaine transshipment), *it doesnt say he accepted the 2million*".

I'm not certain that Pindling could have ever been convicted in the Bahamas, even today, the drug money tentacles stretched too far throughout the country. Many "good" persons who boast today of their self made success could probably detail money they made from direct involvement in the drug trade, hush money or money paid to hold drugs for the neighbourhood dealer.

You ask yourself, how Nygard could have operated for so long in the Bahamas, with multiple persons reporting rapes to the police, and still be able to stand beside the PM Christie, call Shane Gibson his man of business, show up on video with numerous PLP cabinet ministers standing around as he shot some unknown substance into his vein with a hypodermic needle, exclaiming, ~"*I can feel it working already*" and not a single solidarity police investigation on record??? How could Flowers and Percy and Sebas have operated for decades and all the police ever found was a "*spinning wheel*"?

**There is more than enough evidence that "*enough evidence*" in the Bahamas isnt enough to interrupt a high ranking official's well greased smooth operation**

I am starting to believe that the new owners are incapable of changing much but their profit margins.

**While power outages were continuously reported across the Bahamas, FOCOL proudly reported that they'd made a 20m dollar profit for the first half of the year, outpacing 2024 where their *entire* years profit was 29m.**

To add insult to injury, the BEC CEO reported to the nation that the reason Nassau consumers and businesses were seeing a 40% or greater increase over the already tripled "adjustment rate" bills of Q4 2024, was because they were forced to run more diesel engines at Blue Hills to compensate for increased summer demand.

But wasnt the objective of the privatization exercise to revolutionize energy and move us from diesel fuel? How could they at the same time declare rates increasing based on their inefficient operation and proudly declare what a killing theyd made in profits?? **Arent these sort of deals expected to be investment heavy and low to zero profits in the early years?**

This picture is looking oddly "Puerto Rico" familiar. Private entity takes over electricity grid promises revolutionary changes but things go from bad to worse. One natural disaster later, the entire system collapses. With the owners repeating the refrain, *this place was a mess when we got it you know*.

"*we’re big exporters of lobster, for example, and fish.*"

Does the cracked conch snack place still have shortages of conch?

"*Justice Bernard Turner later ruled the amendment had not been properly gazetted, and prosecutors withdrew the charges the following month.*"

"*Court records show Inspector Ricardo Hanna once suggested under cross-examination that Neely “might have had some kind of insider,” noting he always seemed to be waiting outside his home with a blanket when officers arrived.*"

And there you have it. The system is working apparently the way it was designed to. Is it hard to gazette a new law? Is it hard to conduct an independent forensic review of the police force? Apparently so.

Since I'm not interested in a relationship with Mr Davis, I'm not too concerned about what he looks like. The foreign man cant tell any of us apart anyway irrespective of our accent. But, as he holds my future, that of my friends family and community in his hands, I am concerned about his ability to think and his character.

The police did the right thing. No good could come of viewing the body.

"*Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday expressed condolences to Montana’s family and acknowledged the need to strengthen fire response across the Family Islands.*"

More words. Five years gone.