regardless, realitycheck, there is no way that , under the present circumstances, that the Securities Commission would approve an IPO by the numbers boy. Has nothing to do with this specific issue whatsoever.

So what else should the government "prevent"? Should the government prevent the "average Bahamian" (your words) from buying alcohol? Because, after all, that could lead to drunkedness, which is against God? As an average Bahamian, I have a proclivity to spend all my paychecks on fine dining. Should the government limit how much of my disposable income I can spend at Olives? Better yet, as an average Bahamian, I like to waste my money on buying cars. Should the government limit the amount of cars an average Bahamian can buy? While we are at it, can you please define what "afford it" means? Is it 5% of my gross income? 10%? OldFort, you have every right to not support or like gambling, for whatever reason you choose. If I were younger, I would literally enlist in the RBDF to protect your right to feel a certain way about gambling (or any other issue for that matter). However, you, or no one else for that matter, has the right to impose on anyone, average Bahamian or not, how to spend their money (as long as it is legal, which whether you like it or not, gambling, at the moment is legal). And, incidentally, we are all adults here, or so I hope. There is no need to accuse people of being "cretins" just because they disagree with your view point. Maturity and democracy means that we can respectfully and maturely disagree.

John, do not attempt to have a legitimate discussion with Mudda over this issuer. He/She is too blinded by their own opinions to have a sensible discourse. So, in the end, Mudda just resorts to the petulant and childish diatribe of accusing everyone of being "stupid" and "singing for their supper" if their view is against what he/she espouses. Don't waste your time with anyone that cant reason without resorting to insults and illogical nonsense...Mudda must be related to Trump.

You also forgot to mention Hubert Ingraham's awful last five years...or are you just concluding that the PLPs were bad politicians?

The stupidity of your post is only matched by your very scatological and, apparently, non-existent, brain.

Peter Turnquest, is that you?

So your answer is to fire the people on the payroll and have them "falling all over each other" at the Social Services Office, or worse yet, "falling over each other" trying to commit crime?

TigerB, stop it...the people quite understand that it is 4.5% increase...thus placing VAT at 12% in total. What is your point?

Yari, where I may not disagree with your overall point, my only question is this: What then do you do with the thousands of Bahamians that you will make unemployed by taxing the gamers out of existence. It is not as if jobs are readily available for them. Again, I am not questioning where you stand on gambling, my question is to the thousands of households that will go without a breadwinner virtually overnight.

The old, "what would the PLP have done" card is finished now sheeprunner. We voted the PLP out because of their misdeeds...we are now grading the FNM based on their deeds. Stop trying to use the PLP as justification for the nonsense being perpetrated by this government.