To Ryan Pinder: Put some policies on the table rather than simply objecting in Parliament

Ryan Pinder, MP on the Bahamas Government's Mid-Year Budget

By Rick Lowe:



If no one else in the PLP offers food for thought, Mr. Ryan Pinder does.

In fact it looks as if he's one of the few PLP's that offer reasoned comment in Parliament. At least he's the one that gets press coverage anyway.

In this article in the Nassau Guardian he suggests that the PM's growth projections in the Government's mid-year budget are unlikely.

I agree with him, but none of us have a crystal ball, so it's mere conjecture on the part of both politicos.

Where I part company with him is when speaking about the impact of rising oil prices he says; "it is the responsibility of the government to anticipate such realities and put in place policies to counter the adverse effects of rising prices."

I can't find that as one of the governments reasons for existing in the Constitution, but to simply put a statement like that out there without suggestions on what policies are necessary to control the price of oil we import and how the government would pay for whatever those policies might be is irresponsible.

Mind you both parties are derelict where fiscal responsibility is concerned, but where we might be able to excuse generations past with this behaviour, to continue to let these comments go unquestioned with the current state of public finances would be no less than irresponsible of us - the voting public.

It is time for us to ask our MP's to put a little more on the table than rhetoric, lest we should stop paying any attention to them at all.

On a lighter note, Mr. Pinder objects to being called the PLP's Poster Boy by Mr. Byron Woodside of the FNM in this story in The Tribune yesterday.

Well the dictionary says a Poster Boy "is a person that epitomizes or represents a specified cause..."

I wonder how we should interpret his objection to being called the PLP's Poster Boy? As I said earlier, he seems to be covered in the press for the PLP these days over and above everyone else.

To paraphrase what some wag once said:

"Why are we surprised when some politicians play politics? It's not like they are supposed to be real adults . . . they are, after all, politicians and aren't playing around with their money."

So I guess we shouldn't be surprised when no solutions, or at least potential solutions, are offered.

But come on cousin Ryan, you can raise the level can't you? Put some policies on the table rather than simply objecting. That's what is expected by Parliamentarians of us mere mortals when we raise issues with you guys.

March 04, 2011

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