The Bahamas needs to ban smoking inside public places to preserve the health of those who do not smoke

Non-smokers should be protected

thenassauguardian editorial

Smoking kills. The Bahamas needs to ban smoking inside public places to preserve the health of those who do not smoke.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says secondhand smoke exposure causes an estimated 3,400 lung cancer deaths annually among adult non-smokers in the US. The CDC also notes that secondhand smoke exposure causes an estimated 46,000 heart disease deaths annually among adult non-smokers in the US.

We live in a free society. Adults who choose to smoke, knowing the dangers of the practice, are free to face the consequences of their actions. Banning smoking inside enclosed restaurants, casinos, enclosed nightclubs and other public places will help save the lives of the employees who work there and those who regularly visit.

Many jurisdictions in developed countries have moved to ban smoking inside public places. On Wednesday the New York City Council went further and voted to ban smoking in 1,700 city parks and along 14 miles of city beaches.

Here in The Bahamas some are afraid of a smoking ban – especially those in the tourism sector. They argue that such a restriction would make The Bahamas less competitive, as people like to smoke in casinos and in restaurants.

Banning smoking in these places may actually bring in more customers – such as those who do not want to socialize in smoky places.

But more importantly the ban would save lives. It would especially save the lives of workers. Casino workers and restaurant employees are especially vulnerable to secondhand smoke.

A ban on smoking in public places would also help reduce health care costs. Fewer people

would need to be treated for the lung maladies that result from breathing in the smoke exhaled by others.

Many of our visitors come from developed countries where indoor smoking bans already exist. The practice of going outside to smoke is becoming more and more the norm. The Bahamas would only be conforming to the emerging international standard.

Hotels could have designated smoking areas near exits for those who want to smoke. Restaurants could expand, if the space exists, to outdoor seating for smokers. The Bahamas is warm throughout the year. Smokers should have no problem smoking outside.

Several years ago, the Ministry of Health spoke publicly about its consultations with stakeholders regarding an indoor smoking ban. There has been little public discussion of the issue for a while. The government should make the move. Non-smokers should be protected.

Those addicted to smoking should seek medical help. New treatments continue to become available for smokers. Nicotine addiction is one of the hardest addictions to break.

Jan 14, 2012

thenassauguardian editorial

Caribbean Blig International

...monthly National Insurance Board (NIB) contribution rates increase proposed: ...from 9.8 per cent to 10.8 per cent... ...It is unclear whether this will be split 50/50 between employer and employee

NIB 1% RATE RISE IS PROPOSED


By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
and NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net


A RECOMMENDATION to increase the National Insurance Board (NIB) contribution rate by one percentage point to 10.8 per cent has been lodged with the Government, its director yesterday saying it was "lobbying" private health insurers for reduced premiums.

Algernon Cargill brought a stunned silence, and some gasps of disapproval, to the Bahamas Business Outlook conference yesterday when he confirmed the recommended contribution increase, arguing that it was necessary to fund an expanded National Prescription Drug Plan.

In truth the contribution increase had been flagged some time ago, so it should not come as a total shock to Bahamian employers and employees. The former, though, will again be looking at their financial position with concern, and wondering just how much of a chunk it will take out of cash flow and profits.

Meanwhile, Mr Cargill's assertion that NIB was pushing private health insurance underwriters, such as Colina, Atlantic Medical, Generali and BahamaHealth (Family Guardian), to reduce premiums and provide extra benefits, could stoke concerns in some quarters over a revival/continued move to a National Health Insurance Plan.

This is especially so given that Mr Cargill suggested NIB wanted to be the "first payer of private carriers".

Under the initial envisaged expansion of NIB's drug plan, Mr Cargill said it would cover illnesses/diseases such as epilepsy, sickle cell anemia, thyroid, BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia) and strokes.

"We envision the plan to cover all employees and self-employed persons, and voluntary insured persons," Mr Cargill told the Business Outlook. "We have recommended that the extra programmes by funded by an additional 1 per cent."

That will increase monthly NIB contribution rates from 9.8 per cent to 10.8 per cent. It is unclear whether this will be split 50/50 between employer and employee.
Confirming that NIB had been talking to private health insurers over its plans, Mr Cargill said plan participants would incur only a small co-payment.

He added: "We are lobbying for reduced premiums or additional benefits from your private insurance companies." Claims reimbursements were also said to be on the table.
"We aim for the day when no Bahamian has to choose between paying rent, paying for food or paying for medicine," Mr Cargill said.

Meanwhile, the National Insurance Board (NIB) saw contribution income increase to about $190 million last year.

Mr Cargill said NIB had recorded "remarkable" contribution income despite the economic recession. "In 2008, NIB's contribution income was $155.2 million. In 2009, toughest year so far of the recession, we saw growth of almost $5 million for a total contribution income of $160 million," he added.

"In 2010, we increased contribution income by a further $7.9 million, and in 2011 NIB's contribution income will increase to approximately $190 million. These advances can certainly be accounted as remarkable given the recessionary times we are in today.

Mr Cargill credited the increases to well planned strategies taken by NIB to encourage and facilitate contributions, as well as enhance the collection process.

According to Mr Cargill, administrative expenses for 2011 amounted to $40.5 million, and that as a percentage of contribution income, these have averaged around 21 per cent. He pledged that NIB would reduce this percentage "significantly" in the future, having "done a good job" in containing them in recent years.

On the benefit expenditure side, NIB is forecast to have paid out $182 million in 2011, a slight increase from $176 million in 2010. That represents a $30 million increase from the $152 million payments in 2008, with much of the rise coming from the unemployment benefit.

Regarding the unemployment benefit made available through NIB, Mr Cargill said: "As of January 3, 2012, 24,635 have received unemployment awards. We have also paid out approximately $35 million in unemployment benefits.

"From the time the benefit was instituted there have been steady and significant decreases in the number of claims. In 2009, awards totalled 14,071 out of almost 16,00 claims totalling $20.8 million. In 2011, we paid out only 4,500 claims awards out of almost 5,700 claims, totalling $6 million."

NIB generated $75 million in investment income in 2011, and Mr Cargill said its reserve fund had ended the year at $1.6 billion, up from $1.57 billion in 2010 and $1.5 billion in 2008.

Mr Cargill added that the National Prescription Drug plan launched in 2010 now has a membership of more than 70,000 persons, and provides prescription drugs to almost 14,500 active beneficiaries.

According to Mr Cargill, to date the drug plan has paid out more than 170,000 claims and over $3.3 million to participating private pharmacies.

January 13, 2012

tribune242

Caribbean Blog International

The state of our Bahamian economy, multiple downgrades of The Bahamas by credit rating agencies, shrinking revenues, growing debt levels and deficits are clear handwritings on the wall... ...Will the next government have the will, fortitude and courage to rescue us from this downhill motion? ...The Bahamas is crying out for and earnestly awaits the emergence of statesmen and stateswomen in place of politicians

Self-imposed austerity measures advisable for next government

By Arinthia S. Komolafe

As we enter into another election season and the next general elections of our beloved nation approaches, one of the greatest uncertainties that dominates the thoughts and minds of the average Bahamian is the current crippled state of our economy.

Our national debt has increased during this economic crisis to more than $4 billion today with no end in sight to this spate of government borrowing.

In the last 2-3 months alone, the government has borrowed more than $200 million for the Water & Sewerage Corporation, roadworks in Andros and construction of bridges in Abaco. The spending spree embarked upon by the government could erroneously suggest that The Bahamas government has been issued a blank check or a credit card that has no limit.

The reality remains however, that these loans will have to be serviced in the interim and ultimately repaid by current and successive generations of Bahamians with the debt to GDP expected to climb to an estimated 70 percent by 2016.

Despite this massive borrowing, the real unemployment rate (including discouraged individuals) remains at more than 18 percent and no new industries have been created or expanded by the government.

An economic recovery in which the working class can return to work is desperately needed. The hope of realizing the Bahamian dream of receiving quality education, a well-paying job, owning a home and savings toward retirement must be rekindled within our nation.

With the current state of affairs, it is clear that the successful political party at the polls this year will have to take a hard-lined approach toward fiscal policy and make tough decisions which may include self-imposed austerity measures to curb the current rising debt.

Currently, all eyes are on Europe and the Eurozone, which is experiencing what has been termed as the euro-debt crisis. The European Commission has given strict orders to members of the European Union to carry out austerity measures to reduce their growing debts and deficits. The ultimate reason for such a hard-line approach is to sustain the Eurozone and save the Euro; the failure of which will spell a major disaster for the world economy and impede the ability of the global economy to climb out of this economic crisis in the near future. British Prime Minister David Cameron has failed to fall to pressures to cut back on austerity measures and has gone as far as declaring that “we are living in the age of austerity”.

Even more profound is Cameron’s articulation that he was prepared to be a one term prime minister who did the right thing as opposed to a two-term prime minister who did the wrong thing. He asserted that this was the right route to create jobs and an environment for economic growth.

The prime minister of Spain in the same vein recently announced further austerity measures to the tune of $11 billion and has committed to reducing his country’s deficit to 4.4 percent using measures such as a freeze on public wages and tax hikes on the wealthiest Spaniards. Greece has also taken measures to carry out deep pay and pension cuts, tax increases and has committed to carry out changes to collective bargaining agreements. France will increase its Value Added Tax (VAT) from 5.5 percent to 7 percent on many consumer goods except goods like produce, non-alcoholic beverages and water.

Meanwhile in the U.S., President Barack Obama has already signed $11 trillion in spending cuts into law and proposes more cuts. He has also committed to reforms on the cost of Medicare and Medicaid.

It would be unreasonable for The Bahamas to sit back and do nothing to help our own economy while the U.S., the EU and countries around the world are carrying out radical reforms to curb spending and revive their economies. Countries that have been inclined to borrow from International Financial Institutions (IFI) like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank have had to use austerity measures to reform their economic policy to reduce their dependency on borrowing. We must be proactive and do something before we are told to. It is time to face the music, stop the rhetoric and make diversification of our economy a reality. The government of the day will have to become innovative and strategic to attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and create opportunities and jobs for Bahamians outside of the unstable and vulnerable industries of tourism and financial services. Understanding that FDI inflows are currently constrained due to the current state of the global financial markets, it must find new ways of creating revenue to service the national debt and fund essential social programs like education and healthcare. In the short-term, reforms must be made to the public service to achieve efficiency gains. This may mean job cuts where necessary, revisiting the statutory retirement age and improving tax collection.

The continuous excessive subsidies allocated to government-owned enterprises must be reduced and eventually eliminated, with privatization of these enterprises being looked at more seriously. With the reality of wage expense approaching 50 percent of government revenue, job and pay freezes may have to be initiated by the government with job freezes on essential services like education, healthcare and national security being exceptions. The government will also have to consider welfare reform and a reform of its pension policies in a manner similar to that of the private sector.  In the medium to long term, the reform of the existing tax code is inevitable; a progressive form of taxation must be implemented and the feasibility of a Value Added Tax (VAT) regime should be explored. The next government must commence the process for revamping the existing tax code in the best interest of the country and of generations yet unborn. No one will argue that the current tax code which combines indirect and direct taxation is regressive and disproportionate to say the least. The tax structure in The Bahamas does not factor in the disparity in purchasing powers of individuals and corporate entities. While it may be argued that in the case of individuals, it boils down to better paying jobs and/or qualifications, the reality remains that the absence of a progressive form of income tax guarantees that the less privileged will always pay more and have less at their disposal. It goes without saying therefore, that the gap between the rich and the poor will continue to widen unless the tax code among other things is addressed.

The above recommendations may be a hard pill to swallow for many not least the government and ‘special interests’ who form part of the ruling economic class that have for decades failed to pay their fair share of taxes. It is imperative to state that the positive affect of such a bold stance toward the fiscal prudence and the financial position of this country will not produce positive results right away, but if carried out with due care and diligence, they will produce positive results in due time.

The socialist former prime minister in Canada, Chretien was faced with a similar challenge when his government was forced to carry out self-imposed austerity measures due to the rising debt in Canada. His government cut government spending across departments drastically and increased taxes on the rich. Cabinet ministers were given marching orders to reduce spending. The government witnessed a reduction in the debt-to-GDP ratio from 67 percent in 93-94 to 34 percent in 1997. More importantly, the resilience of Canada during the recent financial crisis was attributed to his tough actions several years ago. The next government can take a page out of Canada’s book which has proved to be successful and must make tough decisions for our country’s sake. The state of our economy, multiple downgrades of The Bahamas by credit rating agencies, shrinking revenues, growing debt levels and deficits are clear handwritings on the wall.

Will the next government have the will, fortitude and courage to rescue us from this downhill motion? Will they put country over self and party politics? The Bahamas is crying out for and earnestly awaits the emergence of statesmen and stateswomen in place of politicians.

Jan 12, 2012

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

Whitney Bastian says he was denied a nomination to run on the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) ticket in South Andros because some members of the organization were afraid that party leader - Branville McCartney would not win his Bamboo Town seat... and if Mr Bastian won in South Andros, he would become leader of Branville McCartney's party

BASTIAN BLASTS BRAN IN DNA ROW



By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net

BAMBOO Town MP Branville McCartney appointed himself leader of the DNA despite suggestions that he was elected internally, former party member Whitney Bastian has claimed.

In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Bastian said he cannot accept the official story of how Mr McCartney became leader of the party - because it was he, Mr Bastian, who had made up that story in the first place.

He said: "I advised them to tell to people the elections were over, when the truth is there were no elections. He appointed himself leader.

"When we had a meeting with potential members, we told them there was an election and the leader post was taken, but that was not true," he said.

"I dare him to say otherwise. He knows he appointed himself. If he says he didn't, let him produce the minutes of this so-called meeting where he was elected. Where was it? When was it? Who was there?

"He couldn't tell you because there was no election."

Mr Bastian said he originally planned not to say anything, but because Mr McCartney refuses to acknowledge that the former South Andros MP helped start the party, he feels compelled to speak out.

"I did not want people to think just because I did not get the nomination I was bitter and was making up things about Mr McCartney.

"I was just going to let him get beat up from the PLP and the FNM, but he started this so I'll finish it.

"He is still a novice in politics and he still has a lot to learn.

"He seems to forget I went to the Parliamentary Commissioner to negotiate on behalf of the DNA to use the lighthouse as the symbol for DNA. I didn't do that as a potential candidate, I did that as a partner.

"He seems to forget I encouraged him to leave the FNM. I told him if he didn't the Prime Minister would chap him at the knee and kill him politically."

Mr Bastian said he was going to form a party on his own, but Mr McCartney asked him to wait.

"We both decided that he would leave the FNM when the BTC issue came up. When I went to Panama, he called me and told me he couldn't wait until then. I told him I would support him in whatever he decided. After that we began working on the DNA and having long meetings. He constantly asked my advice and I have emails to the effect.

"Did he do that with every potential candidate? No, he didn't," Mr Bastian replied.

On Monday, Mr McCartney denied he started the DNA with Mr Bastian. In fact, he said, if Mr Bastian really did help form the DNA, he would have never been denied a nomination to run on the DNA ticket in South Andros.

In response, Mr Bastian said he was denied because some members of the party were afraid Mr McCartney would not win his seat and if Mr Bastian won, he would become leader of the party.

Mr Bastian said he still considers Mr McCartney to be "a brother," but said he could let his involvement in the DNA be misrepresented.

Mr Bastian is now running in the South Andros constituency as an independent candidate.

Mr McCartney could not be reached for comment last night.

January 11, 2012

tribune242

With a general election that must be called by May of this year, Hubert Ingraham has let it be known that this time around he is bringing forward a new, younger slate of Free National Movement (FNM) candidates

Ingraham’s changing party

A new generation of FNMs expected to come forward as candidates

By Brent Dean
Guardian Associate Editor
brentldean@nasguard.com

After coming so close for so long, the Free National Movement (FNM) found gold in the last decade of the twentieth century.  Hubert Ingraham, the former Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) minister and chairman, led the opposition party out of the wilderness and to victory.

Two decades later, that same party is depending on that same leader to win it a fourth mandate.  To do so, he has pledged change.  This change is not philosophical or organizational.  He’s changing faces – this in an effort to win a contest in tough times.  Some have already started complaining and calling ‘the chief’ names.  But being the only man to ever lead the party to success, is anyone in the FNM qualified to question his decisions?

 

Where they came from

The FNM is a coalition movement – as is any lasting party.  Remnants of the old United Bahamian Party (UBP) and rebels from the PLP formed the organization.  Its first general election was in 1972 and it lost that vote.  The FNM won 39.3 percent of the votes cast – the PLP won 59 percent.

The FNM struggled for the next two decades, losing the 1977, 1982 and 1987 elections to Sir Lynden Pindling’s party.  Ingraham joined the FNM in 1990 and led it to victory on August 19, 1992.  He, the poor boy who grew up in Abaco, ended the 25-year rule of Sir Lynden.

Over the next five years Ingraham took the FNM to its pinnacle.  It won in 1997 by a landslide margin, with Ingraham declaring after the poll that he could have won them all.

The PLP only secured six seats in that race – it lost one of those seats in a by-election following Sir Lynden’s retirement.

In the 1997 election, Ingraham cut the number of seats in the House of Assembly from 49 to 40 and he took the FNM to 57.7 percent of the popular vote. This was a massive swing from where the party was when it first took on the PLP in 1972.

What Ingraham brought to the FNM was winning.  Though Sir Kendal Isaacs and Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield are regarded as historic figures, those former FNM leaders could not deliver the ultimate prize. And in politics, winning is the only marker of judgment for leaders.

 

Who will run in 2012?

Ingraham won the FNM’s third mandate in 2007 by securing just under 50 percent of the vote.  The term has been difficult, however.  The financial crisis of 2008 was devastating and its effects persist.  The unemployment rate was 8.7 percent then.  It is now above 13 percent.  There have been four murder records in five years.  The $120 million road work upgrade for New Providence has been poorly managed by the contractor, Jose Cartellone Construcciones Civiles, and the government.  And Atlantis, the project initiated during Ingraham’s first term, has been taken by a creditor.  The prosperity resulting from that resort contributed to the FNM’s landslide win in 1997.

For the FNM, this election will not be easy.  Despite the efforts by the government to push back against the effects of the most significant recession since the Great Depression, voters often blame those in charge when things are not going well.

With an election that must be called by May of this year, Ingraham has let it be known that this time around he is bringing forward a new, younger slate of candidates.

No one will know for sure until the final names are listed, but from either public statements made by Ingraham, ‘word on the street’ or statements by candidates, the team will look quite different.

We know Kenneth Russell won’t be an FNM candidate again under Ingraham.  Clifton MP Kendal Wright is probably in that same category.  Also in the not-running-again group is Larry Cartwright, who has made it known he is bowing out.  North Eleuthera MP and House Speaker Alvin Smith too is out, seemingly along with Marathon MP Earl Deveaux.

Quite a few people are rumored to be in the ‘moving category’ – that is, sitting MPs or candidates who are leaving the areas they ran in last election.  Desmond Bannister is moving from Carmichael to North Andros.  And Zhivargo Laing, Loretta Butler-Turner, Dion Foulkes and Phenton Neymour are also said to be going elsewhere.

 

Reshaping the party is wise

For Ingraham this is likely his last general election.  Having sat in Parliament as an MP for Abaco consecutively since 1977, he has done it all.  He has even done something Sir Lynden could not.  He regained power in 2007 after stepping aside following his party’s 2002 defeat.  Sir Lynden, his mentor, tried but was unable to get back in the throne after his 1992 defeat.

Many tangible things have occurred during this FNM term.  The straw market was finished; the national stadium was completed; a terminal at the airport was built, and others are under construction; the unemployment and prescription drug benefits were created; millions of dollars have been spent on the water system and roads in New Providence; the Bahamas Telecommunications Company was privatized; the container port is almost built; major investment is underway to upgrade the hospital; the magistrates complex is almost done; and there have been upgrades to the Supreme Court complex.  Even more accomplishments could be listed.

The FNM during its campaign will argue that it is the party of doing and Perry Christie and his party are the party of talk.  Ingraham will list what he has done and ask the people to choose between talk and action.  At this stage of his career he will fight hard to win, but if the people want what he would describe as ‘mere talk’ over action and doing, then I suspect that he would be quite happy to say he did his best and to retire.

But before going, if that is to be Ingraham’s fate, it is wise to give the next generation a chance.  One of the major criticisms many

Bahamians have of the PLP and the FNM is that both Ingraham and Christie have stayed too long.  One of the ways to push back against this criticism is to empower the young now.

If the FNM wins, those young people would be in positions to lead right away.  If the FNM loses, those young people would have the experience of an election.

Those old FNMs who have had multiple opportunities to run should not feel badly if Ingraham tells them it’s over.  It is his party.  And that is so because he is a proven winner.  Within the party, he has earned the authority to set his line-up for an election.  Is a man a tyrant, as he was called by Russell, simply because he makes political moves to best position his party, in his mind, for an election?  Of course not.

In politics there are no friendships.  There are just alliances of convenience.  In the weeks to come as Ingraham refines his list of candidates, more FNMs will come to learn this – which is something they should have known when they entered politics.

I have always thought that both leaders should have retired by now, but that is neither here nor there at this stage.  For each to allow the next generation to step to the frontline at this election is a reasonable compromise in our centralized political system.  Those they used to get this far, who have been or will be discarded before the election, should look back fondly on the time they spent ‘in the mix’.  You were the tools of great men.

Jan 09, 2012

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

Bahamian Hero Sir Clifford Darling was a man who, even at the end, was not really given the accolades he deserved... not even a memorial service before his funeral by those in the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) he helped to shape

Sir Clifford Darling: A fixed star

Consider this

By Philip C. Galanis

“If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,

if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you

If all men count with you, but none too much;”

- Rudyard Kipling

 

At a wonderfully choreographed home-going ceremony for Sir Clifford Darling at Zion Baptist Church on Thursday past, His Excellency Sir Arthur Foulkes noted: “As a great man who belonged to a great generation goes to his rest, the curtain of living memory is slowly but inexorably closing on a defining era in the history of The Bahamas.  As with great sadness we mourn his passing, we also, as is our custom, take the opportunity to celebrate a life that was well lived and wonderfully fruitful.”  Therefore, this week, just one day before what is arguably the second most important date in Bahamian history, the anniversary of Majority Rule, we thought it would be instructive to Consider This... how do we briefly characterize the life and contributions of the man from Chesters, Acklins?

Darling (also affectionately called ‘Sir Cliff’) has been described as one who represented the best of the Bahamian spirit, a civil man of integrity, a nationalist and a humble soul who rose from poverty on Acklins Island to become the head of state, our fourth Bahamian-born governor general.

 

His record

No other Bahamian has matched his record.  Darling was unique in that he alone, like no other Bahamian before or since, served the Bahamian people as a senator, a member of the House of Assembly, cabinet minister, speaker of the House, and ultimately governor general.

His 89-year sojourn was punctuated by conflicts and challenges, disappointments and disenchantments as well as superlative successes, all of which contributed to the building of a nation by a solitary soul which is not likely to be repeated anytime soon.

Whether it was during his time on the contract in the United States, his tenure as president of the The Bahamas Taxi Cab Union (BTCU), his 25-years as the PLP MP for the constituency of Englerston, or in his capacity as the cabinet minister who inaugurated the National Insurance Board, he exuded a quiet confidence that endeared him to all who came into contact with him.

 

Achievements

Few Bahamians would know that Darling never lost an election in his life, starting with the time he ran and won the election as the representative of the workers in his camp in the United States while on the contract in 1943.  Darling served eight consecutive years as the secretary of the BTCU, never losing an election that was held every year.  He then won 10 consecutive elections when he ran for president of the union, despite facing opposition each year that he ran.

Few Bahamians would know that the PLP did not want him to run in Englerston in 1967 and he was actually told that if he lost, he would not be reappointed to the senate.  He went on to win by the largest majority of any candidate in 1967, ultimately winning six general elections in Englerston from 1967 to 1992.

 

Disappointments

Few Bahamians would know how surprised and disappointed Darling was that Sir Lynden Pindling did not invite him to join his first cabinet after Majority Rule.  In fact, Darling recounts how it was actually Jeffery Thompson who proposed that ‘Sir Cliff’ should be offered the position of deputy speaker in 1967, which was eventually agreed.

In discussions with Darling, he remembered his relationship with Sir Stafford Sands, who he described as a racist, and with whom he had many squabbles dating from the time that Sands tried to destroy the BTCU.  Darling recalls that when he became deputy speaker of the House, he was the first black man to sit in that chair and Sands did not like that at all.  Darling recounted that when members entered or exited the House, they had to bow to the chair in deference to the speaker or deputy speaker.  Although it only happened a few times before he left The Bahamas and died abroad, Sands had to respect the chair by bowing. Whenever he did so, Darling could clearly see the resentment in Sands’ face.

One of Darling’s biggest disappointments occurred shortly after the FNM won the general elections in 1992 when he was serving as governor general. It was then that the Ingraham administration politicized that office which is conventionally set above partisan politics, and prevented Darling from reading the speech from the throne at the commencement of Parliament.  ‘Sir Cliff’ recalled that he was told that the government would pay for him to go anywhere in the world and he decided to go to Canada. He also recalls that he was extremely hurt and sat in his hotel room in Canada, while Sir Kendal Isaacs read the speech from the throne in his stead.  Could that be the reason that the prime minister did not pay personal tribute to Darling at the funeral on Thursday, perhaps because the hurt was still deeply felt by Darling’s family even in death?

At all times, Darling presented himself as a nationalist even after demitting office as governor general.  This writer recalls an occasion shortly after receiving the PLP nomination for Englerston in 1997, asking ‘Sir Cliff’ for advice about the constituency. Unhesitatingly, he replied that as the former governor general, he does not get involved in politics.

 

Conclusion

In his tribute, Sir Arthur Foulkes observed about an earlier time that: “There was no shortage of flamboyant politicians, but Clifford Darling was more of a fixed star than a shooting star, an inspiring presence, the perfect mix of necessary patience and steely determination.”

Darling was a man who, even at the end, was not really given the accolades he deserved, not even a memorial service before his funeral by those in the party he helped to shape.

In the final analysis, although on occasion he was let down by some of his closest friends and political colleagues, no matter what, Darling never, ever let his country down. His legacy will endure in the firmament of Bahamian politics for generations to come.

 

Philip C. Galanis is the managing partner of HLB Galanis & Co., Chartered Accountants, Forensic & Litigation Support Services. He served 15 years in Parliament.  Please send your comments to:pgalanis@gmail.com

Jan 09, 2012

thenassauguardian

Less than 17 per cent of poor Bahamian households are receiving social security benefits... ...an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report highlighting a dysfunctional welfare system that is failing to reach those most in need... and where the potential for fraud and abuse is rampant

JUST 17% OF POOR GETTING BENEFITS



By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor


LESS than 17 per cent of poor Bahamian households are receiving social security benefits, an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report highlighting a dysfunctional welfare system that is failing to reach those most in need, and where the potential for fraud and abuse is rampant.

The IDB report, which has been obtained by Tribune Business, also reveals that just 45 per cent of the Food Stamps issued by the Department of Social Services go to the poorest 20 per cent of Bahamian households, raising immediate questions of whether the system is being abused by wealthier persons and those with the right 'connections'.

Noting that there was no 'means testing' of applicants for social security benefit payments in the Bahamas, the IDB report said government officials found difficulty in accessing even the most basic information on welfare programmes, such as how may people were benefiting from them.
Evaluations of the Government's various social security initiatives, to determine whether they were functioning efficiently and reaching their targets, were described as "virtually non-existent".

The IDB report is part of an initiative to Strengthen Social Protection Programmes in the Bahamas, which is seeking to consolidate the various welfare benefits into a more streamlined package targeting the most vulnerable in Bahamian society.

It is also targeting waste, fraud and inefficiency in the system, in a bid to reduce the burden social security spending places on the Government's finances.

"The Bahamas has a range of non-contributory social protection programmes. However, there is considerable scope for consolidating, redesigning and strengthening programmes so that the safety net is better positioned to protect the poor and promote their human capital development," the IDB report said.

"The Ministry of Labour and Social Development implements over 10 cash-in-kind programmes, and households could potentially benefit from all of these."

These initiatives included the Food and Financial Assistance Programmes; the School Uniform and Footwear Programme; School Feeding Programme; Rent Programme; Water Programme; Electricity Programme; Disability Allowance; Emergency Assistance; Medical Care Assistance; and Residential and Non-residential Social Care Services.

Yet the IDB report warned: "Multiple small programmes are administratively burdensome, and increase possibilities for abuse. At the same time, gaps in coverage are present, with only 16.7 per cent of poor households in receipt of safety net benefits.

This suggests that the Bahamas' social security/welfare system is failing abysmally where it is most needed, in providing help to the poorest in society.

The IDB report said all the Government's benefits "rely on inefficient targeting mechanisms", with both those under the Ministry and the National Insurance Board (NIB) involving different applications and targeting procedures.

"Each programme has its own criteria for approval," the report added. "Applications for assistance to the Ministry of Labour and Social Development go through a labour intensive seven-step review process.

"Even with this multi-tiered approval process, only 45 per cent of Food Coupon benefits go to households in the poorest quintile, and this is despite the fact that the programme is ostensibly targeted to the indigent."

All of which suggests that the majority of Food Stamps, some 55 per cent, go to those who have no, or minimal need, for them - indicating the system is being abused.

"Information and monitoring systems are weak," the IDB report added. "Programme information is not fully computerised, and programme officials have difficulty accessing even basic programme information, such as how many programme beneficiaries there are, or beneficiaries' geographic and demographic composition.

"Programme evaluations are virtually non-existent. As a result, we do not know which programmes are achieving their objectives, and if they are efficient and cost-effective."

The IDB said the Government wanted to "improve the efficiency and effectiveness" of its social security spending. As a result, the project aimed "to help lessen, in the medium term, the fiscal burden of the welfare system by reducing leakages of transfers to non-eligible beneficiaries".

Administration was also targeted for improvement, and rationalising the Government's various benefit programmes "to avoid duplication, and restructuring to enhance efficiency and impact, is needed". Consolidation was a priority, along with expanding social security coverage "to a greater share of the poor".

"The consolidated programme should focus on protecting the most vulnerable and on promoting human capital development among children, including promoting healthy nutrition and keeping adolescents in school," the IDB report said.

Means testing, to ensure those actually needing social security support, are set to be introduced. The welfare programmes to be consolidated are the Food and Financial Assistance (rent, water and electricity) programmes; the School Uniform and Footwear programme; School Lunch programme; and Disability Allowance.

The IDB report acknowledged that the programme could be "politically sensitive" given the upcoming election, but the Government is moving to counter this by appointing a broad-based social protection reform working group.

January 06, 2012

tribune242

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