Opposition parties expressed concerns over the security of overseas voting... ...said they fear the process could be open to tampering

Opposition parties concerned about overseas voting

By Taneka Thompson
Guardian Senior Reporter
taneka@nasguard.com

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) yesterday expressed concerns over the security of overseas voting and said they fear the process could be open to tampering.

Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell, a former Cabinet minister in the Christie administration, said each party is allowed agents to monitor the collection of ballots, but he questioned whether they will be able to do this in every case.

“We need to sponsor the political parties to have agents at these polling places.  Each political party is supposed to have an agent who is supposed to monitor the ballots, the sealing of the box to ensure there is no hanky-panky,” said Mitchell.  “Now that you have these polling places overseas, the question is can the political parties afford to send an agent to do it?”

DNA Leader Branville McCartney had similar worries.

“We want to know the process in these various embassies to ensure the voting process is done properly and fairly,” he said.

“[The DNA is] not totally satisfied.  I’m not casting any blame really on the government or otherwise but human nature as it is and persons with their different preference(s) in terms of political allegiance, we do have some concerns.”

The DNA is preparing to take its message to Bahamian students enrolled in colleges overseas.

Last week, several senior members of the PLP, including party leader Perry Christie, met with students in Florida and Atlanta.

The trip marked the fourth time the PLP spoke with students enrolled in colleges abroad.

The PLP plans to take its campaign to Washington, DC, and New York.

Mitchell, who attended the student meetings, said connecting with young and first-time voters is crucial.

The DNA said it will kick off its overseas campaign soon, with planned visits to Jamaica and Canada.

McCartney said his party will also use Skype, Internet video conferencing, to reach out to students who are abroad.

Last week, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said he is focused on campaigning at home and not grandstanding overseas.

“I am here.  I am here in The Bahamas.  I campaign here.  I don’t do such things.  I’m not a showboater.  I visit all the constituencies and on the 11th of this month we will visit North Andros, on the 18th we will be in Exuma...that’s where I am,” Ingraham told reporters on the sidelines of a rally in San Salvador last week.

Parliament passed ammendments to the Parliamentary Elections Act enabling eligible Bahamians to vote outside the country.  This includes students, staff at Bahamian embassies, high commissions or other foreign missions, and their spouses or members of their immediate families who live with them.

These voters will be able to vote in an advanced poll.  Their votes will be stored in sealed ballot boxes which will be returned to The Bahamas and delivered to the parliamentary commissioner.

Feb 07, 2012

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

The Department of Immigration has decreased the number of work permits issued in 2011 by 24 per cent due to the high level of unemployment among Bahamians

Cut in work permits to help Bahamians


By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune News Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net



BECAUSE of the high level of unemployment, the Department of Immigration decreased the number of work permits issued in 2011 by 24 per cent, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Immigration Brent Symonette said yesterday.

From January 1 to December 31, 2011, the Department of Immigration issued 7,091 work permits, 2,299 less than the 9,390 issued in 2010 and 1,025 less than 2009.

Mr Symonette revealed these statistics while answering questions posed to him by Opposition members in the House of Assembly.

"We are putting Bahamians first," Mr Symonette said.

"We are not issuing permits to foreigners for jobs Bahamians can do. The department has tightened its level of scrutiny on work permit applications and as a consequence 2,299 fewer permits were issued in 2011 than in 2010. Another reason for the decrease is a lot of the companies that were in the Bahamas are no longer here so their employees went with them. To say the economic downturn is the only reason is not entirely correct but it is one of the main reasons."

Of the 7,091 work permits issued last year 53 per cent or 3,793 were given to housekeepers and handymen - 1,671 and 2,122 respectively.

Mr Symonette said the reason for the high numbers is because Bahamians simply "don't want the jobs."

"More than half of the work permits went to non-skilled labour. Bahamians complain about the number of work permits we issue and the unemployment rate however they refuse to do the jobs. They think its menial and beneath them and they just won't do it. Well, you can't have your cake and eat it too," he said.

"A lot of Bahamian households have Jamaican maids and because Bahamian women rather apply to work in the hotel as housekeepers than in a home. Then you have a large category of Peruvian and Filipino live ins. These people require work permits. You have a large number of Haitian gardeners. I know one man who has had his work permit renewed 20 times because Bahamians just won't do the work."

Work permits for construction workers decreased by 53 per cent, from 565 in 2010 to 291 in 2011. Farm labourers also decreased significantly from 549 to 441. In fact, of the 24 categories of jobs that foreigners were granted work permits in 2011 all but eight saw decreases compared to the same period in 2010.

The categories where increases were seen are listed as follows:

* Cooks: 141 - 145

* Consultants: 51 - 89

* Guest Organisers: 49 - 64

* Maintenance Men: 49 - 59

* Presidents: 0 - 3

* Projects Mangers: 43 - 57

* Surveyors: 25-31

* Attorneys: 0 - 4

Mr Symonette said the government expects more declines in the issuance of voters cards with the introduction of the new training programme, which is designed to provide more Bahamians with skills for jobs now being done by non Bahamians.

Of the 7,091 work permits issued last year. 5,958 were issued on new tamper proof, electronic cards.

February 07, 2012

tribune242

Caribbean Blog International

…are there any ‘sexy’ or especially thought-provoking political campaigns that should be more closely watched in the Family Islands this general election season?

Sexy races to watch pt.2

Consider this

By Philip C. Galanis

Last week we reviewed what we believe will be the ‘sexy’ general election races to watch in New Providence, namely Bamboo Town, Montagu and Fort Charlotte.

This week we would like to Consider This…are there any ‘sexy’ or especially thought-provoking campaigns that should be more closely watched in the Family Islands?  We can think of several and suggest that those worth watching closely are Long Island, The Exumas and Ragged Island and both Andros seats.

Long Island

Long Island has traditionally been a seat where men have dominated that island’s politics.  If Loretta Butler-Turner, the FNM’s candidate, wins there, she will score a historic achievement because there has never been a female Member of Parliament on Long Island.  Whether her claim that her grandmother, Sir Milo Butler’s wife Lady Caroline, is from Long Island will be sufficient to gain her the victory remains to be seen.  It is more likely that her party affiliation will play a greater role in her successful bid than any familial connection to the island.

Mario Cartwright possibly represents the DNA’s best chance for winning a seat in the upcoming foray.  Mario was born on Long Island, lives there and is a known quantity.  His father ran for the PLP on Long Island and whether he is able to succeed where his father did not remains to be seen.

Alex Storr, the PLP’s Long Island standard bearer, is neither from there nor does the PLP have a track record of successfully convincing Long Islanders that a PLP should represent them.  He has a challenge ahead for his candidacy to gain sufficient traction in order to prevail.

Mangrove Cay and South Andros

None of the candidates in Mangrove Cay and South Andros provide any real inspiration to the people there.  Picewell Forbes, the incumbent PLP Member of Parliament, has not been particularly star-studded in Parliament, and his representation of that constituency during the last five years has been lackluster.

Ronald Bosfield, the FNM’s standard bearer and the winner of the by-election in 1997, will best be remembered during his last outing as a nondescript and uninspiring sleeper.

Whitney Bastian, the independent candidate and one-term Member of Parliament for South Andros, also has considerable challenges to conquer.

Wayde Forbes Ferguson, the DNA candidate, is as generally unknown as the other candidates are uninspiring.  None of the candidates are thrilling prospects for the people of the constituency that was long-represented by Sir Lynden, who, despite his notable national contributions and legacy, left little of note for his constituents during his many years as their representative.  The race in Mangrove Cay and South Andros will, perhaps more than any other, represent a melee of the mediocre.

North Andros and the Berry Islands

The exceptionally impressive candidates in North Andros are at polar opposites to their colleagues in South Andros.  Each of the offerings for the three major parties is remarkable in his own right.  Captain Randy Butler (DNA), Dr. Perry Gomez (PLP) and Desmond Bannister (FNM) are all stellar candidates, so impressive that it could cause one to wonder in amazement as to whether, at least in the case of the two major parties, the candidates in North Andros were selected by the same persons who chose their South Andros counterparts.

Given his impressive ministerial performance over the past five years, Desmond Bannister is the candidate to beat.  He is perhaps the best candidate that the FNM has ever fielded in that constituency although he has taken a calculated risk of abdicating what would have been a safe seat for him in Carmichael.  Desmond Bannister was born in Staniard Creek, grew up there and in Mastic Point and has strong family ties in the constituency, which he hopes will contribute to his success.

Dr. Perry Gomez is a prominent medical doctor who is best known for his sustained efforts in the battle against AIDS in The Bahamas.  His roots go deep in the Berry Islands and he also hopes that this fact will not be lost on the voters of North Andros.

Captain Randy Butler, the DNA candidate, is a high profile aviation businessman who heads up SkyBahamas and represents the kind of individual who would bring tremendous business experience to Parliament and governance.

This race will be very interesting to watch, although we think that Desmond Bannister presently has the advantage.

The Exumas and Ragged Island

The PLP’s candidate for The Exumas and Ragged Island, Anthony Moss, who is the parliamentary incumbent, is also lackluster, does not excite the voter and has spent a ‘sleepy’ decade in Parliament. His selection is shrouded in controversy and some of the island’s stalwart PLP supporters still question whether the selection process was open, transparent and democratic.  Whether some of the prominent PLP stalwarts on Exuma will support him will be an important factor in how that contest will be played out.  George Smith’s views about Moss’ parliamentary performance and his electability are well-known and to what extent the party leadership will attempt to reconcile with Smith’s views and that of other noted PLP supporters on Exuma who disagree with Moss’ candidacy will be revealing.

Phenton Neymour, the current FNM Member of Parliament for South Beach has apparently determined that he has been a failed MP in that constituency and has opted to move to Exuma for fear that he might not be re-elected in South Beach.  Notwithstanding this, Neymour is personable, outgoing and confident and the FNM party machinery will be in full gear for his candidacy.

Floyd Armbrister, the DNA’s candidate, was born in Steventon, Exuma and is a bright, talkative, aggressive individual who will likely take votes from disgruntled and disaffected PLPs.

Reginald Smith, the independent candidate, is a former ZNS broadcaster, and is currently a realtor on Exuma.  He is smart, affable, and speaks with a rich accent.  Born in Georgetown, he is an attractive candidate who promises to raise the standard of debate and speak to the vision that Exuma could play an important role in the development of a modern Bahamas.

The contest in The Exumas and Ragged Island is shaping up to be a race best described as one where it appears that the voters don’t like what they have and are not confident of what they might get.  The outcome will depend on whether the candidates can count on party loyalties and how the significant number of workers from Long Island who have moved into the Exuma Cays since the last general election will influence the vote.

Conclusion

The stage has been set and the only truism is that “it ain’t long now”!  It will be interesting to see, despite the candidates who have already been presented, whether there will be last minute adjustments in candidates for any number of presently unforeseen reasons.  The only critical date for concretizing any uncertainty in that regard is nomination day.  Nonetheless, there are many sexy races, and in the words of a fallen master politician, “The world is watching”!

 

•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

Feb 06, 2012

thenassauguardian

Sexy races to watch pt. 1

Caribbean Blog International

Political activity is heating up in The Bahamas, where a general election is due soon... ...On the current standing, there could well be another one-term administration in the works with the Hubert Ingraham-led Free National Movement (FNM) seeming to be highly vulnerable... ...Although investment activity in tourism, its leading sector, is picking up, the negative impact of the global downturn is still being felt in The Islands

Government's Paying The Price For Recession

By Dennis Morrison, jamaica-gleaner Contributor:



One does not have to be a student of political economy to understand how the global financial turmoil of the last four years has shaken up the political landscape.

In the United Kingdom, the Gordon Brown-led Labour Party was the first in a string of casualties arising from the sharp economic downturn which is still reverberating across the globe. It seems not to matter whether ruling parties are of right or left orientation, as dissatisfied voters express their anger by discarding incumbents.

Across the globe, the political environment remains volatile under the impact of widespread joblessness, record mortgage foreclosures, and the massive destruction of wealth.

The prospect that there will be no early relief, and the seeming intractable nature of the European debt crisis, mean that the sour political mood will persist.

In America, the Obama administration and the Democrats have borne the brunt of voter dissatisfaction, even though they inherited the crisis and had acted rapidly to halt the precipitous slide in the economy.

In mid-term elections at the end of 2010, American voters turned on the congressional Democrats and booted them out, as economic malaise deepened, and the ranks of the unemployed swelled. With the slow pace of the recovery and gridlock in Congress, the 2012 elections could see another wild swing of the political pendulum.

In the presidential race, the weakness of the Republican candidates could prove decisive, although President Obama's re-election chances are seen to be heavily tied to the pace of improvement in the job market.

gov'ts toppled

Governments were toppled in Belgium, the Netherlands, Iceland, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal and Spain. In France, the second-largest economy in Europe, presidential elections are due in April, and the latest opinion polls are showing President Nicolas Sarkozy trailing his main rival from the Socialist Party. While it is too soon to count him out, his ratings are being depressed by the slow progress in settling measures to stave off the debt crisis in the Eurozone.

Farther afield, the Opposition Democratic Party of Japan won a historic landslide victory in 2009, reflecting deep economic anxieties in that country which have still not eased. Japan's economy has been undergoing two decades of lethargic growth and is the cause of its continued political fragility.

Latin American countries were among the best-performing economies in the turbulent conditions since 2008, recovering fast from the recession and returning to strong growth. A region which is usually highly volatile, the political mood in Latin America has mirrored the economic stability experienced in recent times. Incumbents in Argentina and Brazil were returned to office, and in Brazil, in particular, the anti-poverty programmes of the Lula administration brought political stability.

Governments in the Caribbean have not been immune to the political backlash from the recession. The ruling People's Progressive Party in Guyana won its fifth consecutive term, helped no doubt by the fact that the Guyanese economy had fared better than most in the region. In St Lucia, the incumbent United Workers Party was thrown out after one term, weighed down by political wrangling and leadership issues, but more important, by difficult economic circumstances.

Role in jlp defeat

History was made in Jamaica with the Jamaica Labour Party administration being the first to have the dubious distinction of losing after one term in office since adult suffrage in 1944. Analysts have put arrogance and corruption at the top of the list of factors responsible for the party's defeat.

I would argue, however, that the fact that the Jamaican economy shrank by more than five per cent in the past four years and job losses climbed to more than 100,000 was a more powerful influence on the electoral outcome.

Political activity is heating up in The Bahamas, where elections are due later this year. On the current standing, there could well be another one-term administration in the works with the Hubert Ingraham-led Free National Movement seeming to be highly vulnerable. Although investment activity in tourism, its leading sector, is picking up, the negative impact of the global downturn is still being felt.

Barbados' election cycle runs to January 2013, and the incumbent government there will also be navigating strong economic headwinds.

Growth-inducing strategies and activities that generate employment are not only important to get regional economies moving again but will influence the political tide in the Caribbean. Politicians will have to show their skills at policymaking and management to survive the tide.


Dennis Morrison is an economist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.

February 5, 2012

jamaica-gleaner

Caribbean Blog International

I believe that what is lacking in our Bahamian society is an ‘all hands on deck’ approach in our communities by our parents, religious leaders, politicians and civic organizations... ...we must invest appropriately in the education of our children to acquire the requisite skill-set... diversifying our economy to provide opportunities for both educated and technical Bahamians... taking the necessary steps to reduce our national debt and deficit... as well as implementing a progressive tax system in order to move our country forward

Where do we go from here? pt. 1

By Arinthia S. Komolafe:

The Bahamas like many other nations around the world in this 21st century is plagued with socio-economic challenges that seem to stifle the progress of our nation towards the path that leads to the desired level of peace, prosperity and security for our people.  The economy is certainly uppermost in the minds of our people as we tread through these turbulent times with many looking to the government for solutions to our economic woes.  However, there is a growing concern over the increased level of social degradation that we are experiencing as evidenced by the myriad social issues that we are confronted with daily.  Unfortunately, it appears that our young people continue to be the major casualties of this degradation.  This impact on our youth raises the fundamental question: Are we failing our youth and will we continue to lose successive generations of Bahamians to issues such as poor economic policies, inadequate education and social ills?

 

The current circumstance

At the government level, it appears that little progress has been made in improving both our economy and the educational system in our nation.  The inability of the government to diversify our economy to provide more job opportunities for its people is accelerating the increase in our poverty levels.  The recent global economic downturn has highlighted the inefficiencies of our economic model that is based primarily on the service industry with dependence on financial services and tourism.  It also stresses the regressive nature of our tax code and inefficient methods of collecting government revenue.  Most importantly, it reinforces the harsh reality of our gross dependency on the prosperity of the American and European economies.  The more we witness events unfold in The Bahamas, one can’t help but wonder whether we are regressing rather than progressing.

Over the last five years alone, our national debt has risen to an astounding $4.5 billion, our debt-to-GDP ratio has increased from some 30 percent to approximately 60 percent.  Our deficit currently stands at more than eight percent and the unemployment rate has doubled during the last few years, contributing to the tremendous amount of foreclosures in our nation.  The government has justified its borrowing as the only alternative course of action to prevent a collapse in the Bahamian economy.  However, one wonders whether this was in fact the only option available and if agreed, if the borrowed funds were invested in a manner that benefitted a wide cross-section of Bahamians or just a select few.  The aforementioned statistics suggest that the funds were arguably mismanaged and invested heavily in infrastructural projects that benefitted a small percentage of contractors and companies while the country witnessed and continues to witness increased social degradation.

Being in a position where it was strapped for cash and with revenues down, the government has made minimal investment in social programs comparative to its investment in infrastructural projects and has significantly increased the tax burden on its people in addition to raising the national debt.  It is common knowledge that investment in key social programs is important for the sustenance of our nation and will help minimize the rising social issues that plague our nation.  Focusing on education, it is a given that an educated Bahamas will position itself to play a more vital role on the global stage.  The general consensus still exists that education in various forms including academic, athletic, social and culture among others, provides an individual with an opportunity to pursue a better way of life.  In The Bahamas, it appears that there are classes of Bahamian children who are being denied adequate education, particularly in the public school system.

 

The need for a better education system

The Department of Statistics’ labor force report reveals that two percent of our labor force has had no schooling and six percent has stopped short of a primary education while nine percent of our total work force has not completed secondary education.  The aforesaid percentages suggest that approximately 20 percent of our working population is inadequately equipped academically to compete on a national level, let alone a global level.  There is further evidence that shows that approximately 20 percent of our work force receives a university level education while 10 percent attend some other form of tertiary education.  As a result, 53 percent of our work force attain at the most an education at the secondary level.

Combined with the aforementioned startling statistics is the fact that the national grade average based upon national examination results in 2011 sits at a discontented D average.  Even more disturbing is the fact that the D average includes the private schooling system, which if removed, will probably significantly decrease the national average.  It is reported that the recent examination results evidence that approximately 34 percent of 5,000 plus students sitting the English examination received C or above while some 24 percent who took math received a C or above.  Consequently, 65 percent of our children received an English grade of D or lower while some 75 percent of our children received a grade of D or lower.  The lack of sufficient teachers to teach key subjects such as math, physics, chemistry and other technical courses, has been blamed for these unimpressive statistics.  It is important to ascertain whether sufficient measures are being put in place to encourage more Bahamians to become educators.

In the absence of an aggressive recruitment process, are we exhausting all avenues to engage qualified teachers that will produce the desired results?  Further, what measures are being taken to reduce the overcrowding in our public system to provide for more favorable teacher-student ratios?  If we are serious about preparing the next generation for the future, greater emphasis must be placed upon adequate and quality education of our children.  We must see to it that more of the 53 percent mentioned above have the opportunity to receive tertiary level education and greater opportunities to obtain the same locally.  Of particular note is the long overdue upgrade of The College of The Bahamas to university status.

Investment in infrastructure is absolutely necessary to any society, but a lack of investment in a nation’s citizens and, more importantly, the education of its youth will minimize or eradicate any lasting effect of infrastructural development due to a lack of qualified citizens in society with a propensity to increase social ills.  In this regard, it is welcomed news to hear that the Progressive Liberal Party has committed to doubling the budget allocation to education if it wins the next general election; however, such allotment must be dispensed in an effective manner that will produce favorable results in education.

Many believe that our leaders are bankrupt of ideas to address our failing education system.  The curriculum itself is widely believed to be deficient and outdated.  The lack of adequate education among our youth will inevitably lead to a further increase in social issues and will inevitably increase youth engagement in illegal activities such as the drug trade, guns and arms trafficking and anti-social behavior such as gang violence.

A lie has been sold to our children that the perceived rewards of these activities afford them a lifestyle that may otherwise be unattainable by securing an honest job and obtaining a better way of life through conventional norms.  The level of violence among our youth had increased to such an alarming rate that a school-based policing program was initiated by the Christie administration of 2002-2007.  It is worth noting that the current administration canceled the program in 2007.  However, their subsequent realization of the wisdom of the program in the midst of escalating levels of violence in our schools prompted the re-implementation of the program in 2011.  In today’s Bahamas, our young people should not be faced with the challenge of having a fear of attending school due to violence among their peers; neither should teachers be afraid to carry out their functions as nation builders in fear of a potential violent backlash.

I believe that what is lacking in our society is an ‘all hands on deck’ approach in our society by our parents, religious leaders, politicians and civic organizations.  However, we must invest appropriately in the education of our children to acquire the requisite skill-set, diversifying our economy to provide opportunities for both educated and technical Bahamians, taking the necessary steps to reduce our national debt and deficit as well as implementing a progressive tax system in order to move our country forward.

Failure to implement the necessary policies looking at the current environment in which we live begs the questions: Is there light at the end of the tunnel?  Should we hope again?  Will the Bahamian dream be preserved for future generations?  Where do we go from here?

 

•Arinthia S.Komolafe is an attorney-at-law.  Comments can be directed to: arinthia.komolafe@Komolafelaw.com

Feb 02, 2012

thenassauguardian

Where do we go from here? Pt. 2

Caribbean Blog International

As the slow times are not predicted to improve in the near future, Bahamians must now decide whether they want their future in the hands of an indecisive Perry Christie or a decisive Hubert Ingraham... ...As for the Democratic National Alliance (DNA), more experience is needed for the difficult times this country might have to face

Beware of election promises

tribune242 editorial




ELECTION TIME is here again and so are the promises. Promises, we might add, without any reference to the Public Treasury.

Bahamians should be aware of the times in which we live and don't depend on election promises -- even in good times they were just that -- promises that never saw the light of day.

In Grand Bahama, for example, Dr Michael Darville, the PLP's Pineridge candidate, has promised that should his party win the 2012 election, Grand Bahama will not only have a new hospital and all its medical facilities upgraded, but, according to Tanisha Tynes, PLP candidate for East Grand Bahama, her area will have its first junior high school.

National health insurance will be introduced to cover the medical needs of all Bahamians. Dr Darville said the PLP has also been working on a national plan to put the island back on the road to recovery through meaningful investments and programmes to create permanent jobs in tourism and the industrial and agricultural sectors.

It is true that Freeport's needs are great, but despite what PLP candidate Gregory Moss has said, the Bahamas (Grand Bahama included), like the rest of the world, is suffering, not only from its own inefficiencies, but from the global recession.

The World Economic Forum, holding its 42nd meeting in Davos, Switzerland, from January 25-29, closed its meeting on a sombre note. About 1,600 economic and political leaders, including 40 heads of state, discussed their fears that Europe's fiscal crisis could put the entire global economy into recession.

Despite the efforts of the Ministry of Tourism, if people have to cut back on their vacations because their finances are tight, this country's tourist dollar will shrink. Recently, Freeport's once bustling Container Port was forced to lay off several employees because one of its major Mediterranean clients, hit by the international economic situation and loss of business, had to reduce its services. The Hutchison Whampoa group also laid off about 72 employees as a part of its international downsizing "due to the economy and the resulting decline in business". In the UK, about 400 Hutchinson staff lost their jobs.

These layoffs were employees from the Grand Bahama Airport Company, the Freeport Harbour Company and the Freeport Container Port.

So it is wrong for any politician to deny that this country is not also caught up in a global downturn.

"The economy in Grand Bahama is at a place where we are not generating new jobs as fast as they are losing them," said Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce president John Swain. And, unfortunately, with tourism slow and all tourism dependent businesses in the doldrums, there are few places in Grand Bahama to find work.

All eyes are now fixed on the USA in hopes of an economic improvement there, which might spill over onto Bahamian shores. Until this happens, no politician from any of the parties can make grand promises and try to make constituents believe they can keep them.

Why even in the good times -- before the economic bubble burst -- Mr Christie was unable to fulfil his election promises after he won the government in 2002. At that time, no one imagined that in a few more years the good times would come to a screeching halt.

In 2002, Mr Christie promised National Health Insurance, which even then the country could not afford. He was in government for five years and never delivered on the promised national insurance "so that poor people will stop dying simply because they are too poor to pay for medical attention". Also, before winning the government in 2002, he promised that if elected his government would "transform the hospital (PMH), the flagship for the entire health care system into the first class care facility that it has the potential to become", to "modernise the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre" and develop a regional hospital in Exuma. None accomplished, and none attempted. They were only election promises.

If these promises could not be kept in the good times, why should voters believe that any political party can guarantee that they can be delivered in the bad times?

The unions, as was to be expected, want to get as much as they can now. They believe that if they don't get what they claim was promised them by the Ingraham government before the election, they will get nothing under the Christie government, should that government win the election. That is probably true. But what the unions have to understand is that no matter which party wins the government, the Public Treasury will dictate who will get salary increases and when.

The voter is now in a privileged position to judge the performances of two five-year term governments -- the Christie government in good times, and the Ingraham government in economically critical times.

As the slow times are not predicted to improve in the near future, Bahamians must now decide whether they want their future in the hands of an indecisive Christie or a decisive Ingraham. As for the DNA, more experience is needed for the difficult times this country might have to face.

February 02, 2012

tribune242 editorial

Caribbean Blog International

...please inspire and empower our youth to rise up and emancipate themselves from mental slavery, as the late Bob Marley said... or else, all we may be left with is black history with black future in serious jeopardy

Black history is great, but what about black future?

By Neals J. Chitan

Over the past 30 years, I have always been involved in either planning or speaking at black history events in Canada, the USA and England.

It is the time of the year when we look back at the intense struggles and challenges faced by our people, while also celebrating our achievement and immense involvement in the establishment and development of what we now see as modern civilization.

And so, I enjoy singing the praises of our people who have risen from the physical, emotional and mental torture of slavery and confinement to now the White House, where a black family serves its nation as its first black American presidential family.

I salute those who, because of their hatred and intolerance for human injustice and indignity, have toiled alongside us in our march to freedom and justice. To those of other races who itch because of racial profiling and harassment, which render our North American statistics of imprisoned black males unreasonable in its ratio to other races, we say thank you.

However, we have to position our history well within the overall scheme of things. History is an open text book from which we learn how to proceed in the future. It is what gives us our bearings and reference point that will influence us to either sadly repeat the past, or to use it and the coping strategies developed to carve out an amazing future.

It is with much disheartenment that I respond to black students and young adults on a daily basis, as I ask them about their future plans. The vast majority of our children are lost without direction. Physically free now, but still trapped within their minds, they simple answer “Dunno” for “I don’t know” when asked about what college or university or even what career they will pursue.

The juvenile impatience and fast paced life of 21st century urban living have robbed our children of a planned future. For many, driven by the thirst of instant gratification, they want their money now and have no time to wait to pursue years of secondary and tertiary education. Acute hopelessness has invaded the inner fibre of our black youth causing them to resort to a mere day by day existence, as they see their friends locked up behind bars or fall to the bullet.

Many of our youth have actually stated that they prefer to “enjoy” life now since there is no certainty that they will live to enter or finish university. And so in pain I exclaim, “Give us our black history, tell us the stories of the past, but please inspire and empower our youth to rise up and emancipate themselves from mental slavery, as the late Bob Marley said, or else, all we may be left with is black history with black future in serious jeopardy.”

February 2, 2012

caribbeannewsnow