While I must admit I am not familiar with the details of the PLP plan one thing I do know is no matter which party was elected, ANY type of mortgage relief would have been costly as stated by the former Prime Minister himself. See link: http://www.tribune242.com/news/2012/apr…
There, he says ".....the FNM will put forward a plan - it will be a costly plan but a workable plan that will bring relief to many, many people." Everyone knows that it will be costly its the nature of it. The US is having the same problem with mortgages and the same challenge of fixing it ie. it costs money to assist the citizens however there is no money in the kitty. BTW I can't find exactly what the FNM was going to do for motgage relief, can someone tell me?

@SDRFC very good point:

*Empowering the minds of Bahamians to own their country is the biggest challenge for governance in the Bahamas today. Helping Bahamians to realize their full potential as world citizens. Moving beyond the same old privileged class of Bahamians (Symonnettes, Kelly's, etc.). Creating a new vibrant business/entrepreneural class of Bahamians that can innovate and broaden the tourism-focused industrial base. There is no need for Bahamians to acquire tertiary education or improve on the national "D" average when all they need is to make up beds, fix mixed drinks, shake cowbells, and say .."welcome to the bahamas". Put the Sir Stafford Sands ecomonic model to bed...Please.*

The FNM continues to try and evade this crime record by blaming criminal defense lawyers which is the height of stupidity. Thier only answer to crime is "Brave was 90 lawyer & 90 cause the crime". Well 90 has been locked up since 2000. How can you blame a dismal crime record on a SINGLE man who has been in prison from the PLP was in power? Unbelievable! Unthinkable!

Way to go VVW? I would like to hear VVW spout tourism stats specifically for Grand Bahama, an island that needed the Ministry of Tourism the most in the past five years. Rooms closed under the PLP due to the storms in 2005. I think those closed rooms make up the majority of the 1,345 in the article and VVW knows that. But even if I were to blindly believe that the PLP did something to cause the room closures, what has the FNM done to prevent room closures in GB since 2007?

It sounds like you have problem with our legal system in that every person charged with a crime has a right to defend him/herself. If Brave didn't defend them it would have been another lawyer. How about the question how many of those 490 murders was a direct result of lack of education? My guess is 100%. Every year we are releasing thousands of high school attendees (notice I didnt say graduates) into the market that cant even read. To blame crime on defense lawyers is an unfortunate red herring.

I understand the difference between the purpose of a billboard and a newspaper however thats not up for discussion. All I am saying is if there was such a concern for hurting the tourist brand then the best way to deal with that is to prevent the murders themselves (I think we can all agree on that). The fact is depsite the efforts, the murders were NOT prevented. A billboard is going to do less damage than an australian documentary highlighting Bahamas crime or a travel warning to potential visitors on an official US website. (By the way, both of these things exist today).

So let me get this straight, putting up a billboard that highlights the fact on the murder rate gets more attention from the government than the actual fact itself? If there was a good record on crime then the FNM party rhetoric should have been able to cut through the message on the PLP bill board. Just as next to a PLP sign that says "Put Bahamians First" there is an FNM billboard touting the self starter program. The intention is to undercut what the opponent's billboard is suggesting. Nonetheless with murders being front page news many tourists voiced concerns over the years when seeing the paper headlines in coffee shops and street retailers. Should we not publish the story just to hide the facts from tourists? Why stop there, should we try to hide it from Bahamians too? On another note this highlights the need to diversify our economy.

The problem is systemic. How do you expect them to act when the House of Assembly is pretty much a Jerry Springer show and we accept it; as a matter of fact sometimes we celebrate it. A debate IS needed among ALL candidates so there can be a structured forum that gives each the opportunity to expand on thier manifesto with moderated exchanges and cross examinations. If televised we would be able to see their dispositions as well. FYI, don't tell me debates are American and therefore we don't need as it would take a lot more space to state the numerous things GLADLY copy from the Americans.