Dr. Nottage, why don't you just say that a discussion of how students behave in school "ought not be necessary" just like you did about how police treat suspects in custody? Aren't student told how they OUGHT to behave? Why discuss it?

Let the police beat prisoners to death or near death, and let students carry weapons and kill each other.

A discussion of both problems "ought not be necessary". Just keep smilin' and cullekin' your paycheck man.

So they want to make sure that the numbers stay high throughout the year, even September. That's the goal. Does that mean another Canadian consulting firm will soon be hired an payed a couple million to do a "study" on how that can be achieved?

That is the standard practice when we want to know something - isn't it? Both parties.

Yes, he went to the Immigration office (main) to speak with one of his officers and discovered that the officer had been transferred to the airport (this was a senior officer) without his knowledge. He discussed with Cabinet but received no sane reply - so he resigned. That is the right thing to do when your boss won't let you do your job. If he won't let you do it, then he needs to do it himself or find someone else.

Bran is simply too good of a man, too hardworking, and too honest to ever be elected PM in a country grown from a seed of piracy.

He won't win election in 2017. Bahamians will find a new crook to elect instead. Then in 2023 we will have our first Haitian-Bahamian PM.

Hon. Mitchell can close the barn door now if he wants - but the horses have already left the stable.

What do you mean he can participate in carifta? i thought the new standard was guilty until proven innocent? LOL

He should "demonstrate" the SKU potential restriction capability of the computer - by requiring only CASH for all milk purchases. People who are used to coming into the store and paying by cheque (or CC) will have to bring along 7 or 8 bucks to pay for their gallon of milk in cash.

This will be frustrating to them (and people who can afford to pay by cheque are more likely to have a bit of influence in the political arena) - and perhaps they will also complain to Min. Rolle about the system.

Only if people are directly affected by something do they care (99%) of the time.

He should put the milk thing in place this weekend and have it effective Monday morning in all stores in Nassau (but not Freeport where stamps are allowed).

I agree with beebeelinda. It sounds like a ruse to gain approval for their Miami operation. That is why they are investing nothing in Bimini. The PM says they have a $100 million investment of a high-speed cruise ship and a jet aircraft to bring persons to Bimini? really? Has he seen the bill-of-sale (or other sales documents) that prove they recently purchased these vehicles? - or have they owned them for years and now that they are "allocating them" to use in Bimini it gets called an investment. Do "WE" own them? No. They belong to the company.

Then the PM says that this amazing "investment" now necessitates us to more quickly improve our docking and airport facilities in Bimini. Does this mean we have to borrow more money from the IMF to do this and put our grandchildren deeper in debt? He says they will "partner" with the government in this. Really? By what percentage? Or are they going to lend us the money and then we are in debt to them instead of the IMF.

400 jobs? Really? What kind of jobs? Maids, gardeners, window washers, dish washers, baby sitters, dock hands, gas pumpers? General lackies I am sure, and probably 90% under work permits (that's probably why Hon. Fred Mitchel is holding off for one year on permit system changes - so these guys can get all the gardeners and dish washers they need grandfathered in).

That's all we ever get. A kick in the rear end. But then maybe we deserve it because we keep re-electing the same morons. This year is our 40th anniversary of "independence" and in ALL that time we have only had 3 prime ministers. 40 divided by 5 years is 8 - so we should have had 8 prime ministers if we had the good sense to change them each time.

So either there is a monopoly or other hanky panky involved in our election system (we know ballots are numbered right on the ballot itself), or there have only been 3 persons in the entire Bahamas over 40 years with the intelligence to be PM. Are we as a people that lacking in intelligent persons among our populace? While I don't think so - some days I honestly wonder.

Public awareness campaigns won't work because people don't care about anything that doesn't affect them directly (99% of the time).

The government could (and should) make public announcement that they are going to raise the duty rate by one percentage point on ALL items that require refrigeration or copper electric wiring or equipment (except medicines) and that the money obtained from that additional amount will be GIVEN to security companies who have a contract with a food store or other copper intensive establishment to provide night/weekend security for the specific protection of copper materials (this includes cable bahamas, bec, batelco, and others). There should be plenty of money to go around to cover everyone and it should be distributed wisely and with proper accounting.

In addition, on the (say, 5th) day of each month the government should make notice in the newspapers and on television how much money was collected (the prior month) from that additional 1%, how much was distributed to security companies (name each and the amount for each), and how much money remains in the general fund.

I realize that this would not happen because it requires things of government that they are simply not designed and equipped to do, nor do they have the mental capacity:

1. Responding to public need
2. Taking action of any sort to address any problem
3. Handling money efficiently and correctly
4. Reporting their work and financial status to the people they serve.

So because of those lacking traits in them, we can all just sit back and continue to have copper stolen, cold sections of stores shut down, phone service and t.v. services disrupted, and employees being put out of jobs. Nothing's gonna change. But, hey, don't we have "Junkanoo in June" coming up soon? That will take the public's mind off of things for a while and change the subject. Wow.

So in 2002 the PM told her to do what she had to do and let the chips fall where they may. And with this amazing power granted to her - she did what exactly ?

We are way the past the point of needing to just "take the message ..."

I agree with ohdrap4. It is extremely difficult for a Bahamian to become a teacher in the Bahamas. COB only offers courses that can be taken by some who is either working as a teacher temp (in the ministry) or is unemployed. The courses are only offered during regular working hours. Well, I guess a croupier in the casino working the night shift could do it.

In addition, they will not list or even reveal to anyone what the names of the various courses are - what courses are needed - and what course is offered at what time. You only know they are 9am-5pm type times and you gotta take "so many" of them to become certified.

And yes, Jamaicans (and many others) do not actually get permits. NOBODY ever enters the Bahamas through a port of entry with an actual work permit in their hand. The MOST they ever have with them is an original or faxed copy of a letter stating that their work permit has been approved - but the actual work permit itself remains in an unknown location. A few times these are mailed to the sponsoring company AFTER the employee has actually finished their employ and left the country.

People come here to work on the HOPE that they will not be deported because "somebody" said that their work permit has been approved. They just hope it is true and do what they have to do.

Any Bahamian who borrows a nickel from any bank in 2013 needs their head examined. That's the short and sweet version.