thenassauguardian editorial
Haiti is in a state of crisis. It is an occupied country that was devastated by a massive earthquake. This calamity added to the misery of a people who are from the poorest country in the hemisphere.
The Bahamas will always have difficulties managing the flow of people from Haiti. We are between Haiti (the poorest country in the hemisphere) and the United States (the richest country in the hemisphere). Haitians come here hoping to get to the U.S. Many stay permanently.
This logical migratory flow has caused a problem in The Bahamas and our policymakers have no solution to it. We do not know what to do with the large number of undocumented Haitians who reside in shantytowns especially in New Providence.
We have previously written about the shantytown problem. This was after the Mackey Yard fire destroyed more than 100 homes. When these events occur many revert to simplistic emotionalism. The response and discourse surrounding the tragedy usually is limited to disaster relief.
The Bahamas, however, must seriously address the shantytown issue before a catastrophe occurs. Government officials speculate that 500 to 700 people lived at the Fire Trail Road site where a fire occurred earlier this year. A fast moving fire could easily consume all the residences of one of these shantytowns. Thousands live in some of these communities.
In 2009, then Minister of State for Immigration Branville McCartney said that 37 shantytowns had been identified in New Providence alone. Two of the biggest shantytowns in the country are in Abaco Pigeon Pea and the Mud.
Our failure to make the tough decisions and remove these unauthorized communities could contribute to a mass tragedy.
All who reside in this country should abide by the local building code and follow town planning guidelines. These laws exist to maintain safety. Haitians, or any other group of migrants, should not be allowed to live in violation of laws all Bahamians and residents should follow.
The goal of the government should be to eliminate shantytowns in The Bahamas. If we do not, one day soon we will be writing about a mass tragedy on one of our islands.
Such a day can be prevented if the state acts decisively.
The ‘silly season’
The political ‘silly season’ has begun.
A general election must be called by May 2012, which in political campaign terms is right around the corner.
The major parties have kicked into high gear, ratifying candidates, and using the broadcast media and world wide web to get their messages out.
The politics of personal destruction reigns supreme in this political culture. And while it did not start yesterday and is not particular to The Bahamas, it’s a culture that a maturing electorate is growing tired of.
There are many issues facing our country, and the Bahamian people deserve to hear how each party plans to address these issues.
We have already broken our murder count for the year; our public education students continue to perform poorly; our healthcare system is stretched; and the illegal immigration problem is still largely out of control.
There is also the pressing issues of job creation. It should not be good enough for a political party to reveal its strategy for the country in a ‘manifesto’ or ‘plan’ released days before the election
Voters should have the opportunity to carefully consider what positions the different political parties take on substantive issues, within a reasonable time, before marking their X.
Local politicians need to spend less time on personal attacks and more time addressing the real issues.
It is time for a new type of politics, one that focuses on urgent national priorities rather than narrow interests; and one that helps to hold our elected officials more accountable for the many promises made from the rally podia.
Voters want politicians with ideas and energy, who have thought deeply about the issues and are committed to making a change for the better, even if it means making tough unpopular decisions.
Oct 08, 2011
