The American forefathers assumed that mere mortals would be running the country so they included many checks and balances within the constitution that they drew up. Unfortunately in the Bahamas, the mere mortals got to make their own rules up and turn them in to the constitution.
Florida has decriminalized weed and within a few years it will most likely be re-classified as a legal recreational drug there (along with many other US states). At that point the Bahamas will have to completely flip the war on drugs. Instead of trying to catch and lock up criminals that are trying to smuggle third world pot in to the USA, they are going to be confronted with an ever growing stream of super high grade legal pot coming out of the USA. Pot that Florida has made a legit business out of and taxed, that is
And don't forget those of us that have been ripped a new bungy.... after buying expensive new vehicles from the local authorized distributors and having to go back to them for repairs and being told the five year / 60,000 mile manufacturer's warranty does not apply in the Bahamas
Go look at any economic report and you will see that there has been a catastrophic division of wealth in the civilized world within the last decade. Gone are the days when middle class people thought it cool to spend $1000 a night to have their family jammed in to two adjoining bedrooms. The traditional hotels are now fighting over 5% of the population that can afford them and lashing out at people that can't. And they want the Government to strangle the competition. That is what "level the playing field means"
Instead of demanding that the government help the hotel industry to be as competitive as airbandb, they are demanding that the government makes aibandb as noncompetitive as the hotel industry
Amazing how the man who talked so much about liberalizing small business in this country is in such a rush to bureaucratize a fledgling industry before it even gets going
The primary problem is the failing hotel industry is lobbying against the 'rental by owner' market. I could write a book on how and why the hotel industry is failing this country but the point is that the government is out of its mind to do anything but nurture this new form of income for the small people
Most other complaints are that some 'some rich foreigner' is making money and not getting taxed. I can tell you for a fact that most of them do not even break even by the time the unfathomable cost of owning and maintaining a house in the islands is added up. Those rich foreigners pay RPT, they pay VAT out the ying yang for anything they touch, they hire local property managers and tradesmen to renovate and maintain their properties, etc. In some islands this translates to 90% of the economy.
You are also a fool if you think signing up a complicated tax deal with Airbandb will fix your small minded taxations There is VRBO, byowner.com, homeaway, etc, etc. Countless booking sites getting added to by the day. You would surely need another entire parasitic government department to keep up with this wonderful new technology that can empower any Bahamian that wants it.
The problem is that the government has a bunch of regulations in place to protect borrowers that can't (OR DONT) pay their overindulged mortgages, so the banks have to squeeze the living ba'jesus out of the customers that can and do make payments. I am one of the lesser percentages of people up to date with their mortgages at my bank but when I asked them for some kind of relief a few years ago, they come at me with carving knife.
the whole BS foreign investor approval regime has never done a damn thing to actually stop crooked investors from coming here and doing whatever the hell they want. All the rules did was give the slimy politicians another excuse to get greased which in reality had the opposite affect of what was supposed to happen. Straight laced investors pull out when they get leaned on and the dishonest ones start spreading their bribes around and start trashing the environment the next day. Hooray for Bahamian government over site !
happyfly says...
They forget about the $40m to go in the old PLP's back pocket. Back when Power Secure was figuring out the cost
On Renewable energy backlash on BPL utility-scale ‘no go’
Posted 29 September 2017, 6:16 a.m. Suggest removal
happyfly says...
Perry's selfish greed is second to none in the history of the Bahamas
On Christie & Davis: $46k water debt
Posted 28 September 2017, 8:10 a.m. Suggest removal
happyfly says...
The American forefathers assumed that mere mortals would be running the country so they included many checks and balances within the constitution that they drew up. Unfortunately in the Bahamas, the mere mortals got to make their own rules up and turn them in to the constitution.
On GIFTED MILLIONS: BPL bypassed process to dish out contracts - and guess who got them
Posted 21 September 2017, 11:35 a.m. Suggest removal
happyfly says...
dont forget a free pass on labor disputes from the labor board.
On BPL’s elite list 'just a privilege'
Posted 20 September 2017, 12:07 p.m. Suggest removal
happyfly says...
Florida has decriminalized weed and within a few years it will most likely be re-classified as a legal recreational drug there (along with many other US states). At that point the Bahamas will have to completely flip the war on drugs. Instead of trying to catch and lock up criminals that are trying to smuggle third world pot in to the USA, they are going to be confronted with an ever growing stream of super high grade legal pot coming out of the USA. Pot that Florida has made a legit business out of and taxed, that is
On Call to decriminalise marijuana
Posted 28 August 2017, 8:07 a.m. Suggest removal
happyfly says...
And don't forget those of us that have been ripped a new bungy.... after buying expensive new vehicles from the local authorized distributors and having to go back to them for repairs and being told the five year / 60,000 mile manufacturer's warranty does not apply in the Bahamas
On Cheap Japanese car imports driving the industry down
Posted 21 August 2017, 5:37 p.m. Suggest removal
happyfly says...
Go look at any economic report and you will see that there has been a catastrophic division of wealth in the civilized world within the last decade. Gone are the days when middle class people thought it cool to spend $1000 a night to have their family jammed in to two adjoining bedrooms. The traditional hotels are now fighting over 5% of the population that can afford them and lashing out at people that can't. And they want the Government to strangle the competition. That is what "level the playing field means"
Instead of demanding that the government help the hotel industry to be as competitive as airbandb, they are demanding that the government makes aibandb as noncompetitive as the hotel industry
On Taxing holiday home rentals levels the field
Posted 18 August 2017, 7:34 a.m. Suggest removal
happyfly says...
Amazing how the man who talked so much about liberalizing small business in this country is in such a rush to bureaucratize a fledgling industry before it even gets going
The primary problem is the failing hotel industry is lobbying against the 'rental by owner' market. I could write a book on how and why the hotel industry is failing this country but the point is that the government is out of its mind to do anything but nurture this new form of income for the small people
Most other complaints are that some 'some rich foreigner' is making money and not getting taxed. I can tell you for a fact that most of them do not even break even by the time the unfathomable cost of owning and maintaining a house in the islands is added up. Those rich foreigners pay RPT, they pay VAT out the ying yang for anything they touch, they hire local property managers and tradesmen to renovate and maintain their properties, etc. In some islands this translates to 90% of the economy.
You are also a fool if you think signing up a complicated tax deal with Airbandb will fix your small minded taxations There is VRBO, byowner.com, homeaway, etc, etc. Countless booking sites getting added to by the day. You would surely need another entire parasitic government department to keep up with this wonderful new technology that can empower any Bahamian that wants it.
On Taxation to hit vacation home rental sector
Posted 11 August 2017, 10:57 a.m. Suggest removal
happyfly says...
The problem is that the government has a bunch of regulations in place to protect borrowers that can't (OR DONT) pay their overindulged mortgages, so the banks have to squeeze the living ba'jesus out of the customers that can and do make payments. I am one of the lesser percentages of people up to date with their mortgages at my bank but when I asked them for some kind of relief a few years ago, they come at me with carving knife.
On Banks approve fewer than 50% of mortgages
Posted 3 August 2017, 7:59 a.m. Suggest removal
happyfly says...
the whole BS foreign investor approval regime has never done a damn thing to actually stop crooked investors from coming here and doing whatever the hell they want. All the rules did was give the slimy politicians another excuse to get greased which in reality had the opposite affect of what was supposed to happen. Straight laced investors pull out when they get leaned on and the dishonest ones start spreading their bribes around and start trashing the environment the next day. Hooray for Bahamian government over site !
On Realtor urges 'total rethink' of investor approval process
Posted 27 July 2017, 6:32 p.m. Suggest removal