by Rick Lowe
According to press reports this morning (Wednesday, September 10, 2008) , Prime Minister Ingraham is going to use the Public Treasury to pay electricity bills for those Bahamians that are hurting as a result of the economic downturn.
Based on the number of requests around town for money, we all know how many people are hurting financially. Add Hurricane Ike to the mix, and the problem is just exacerbated.
The question though is should the public treasury be used to gain political popularity points? I do not see any where in the Constitution that indicates to me that public funds can be used for this purpose.
Mr. Ingraham has done this in the past when he paid the straw vendors off after an arsonists fire destroyed the “Famous Nassau Straw Market” because they did not insure themselves against loss.
Mr. Perry Christie, former Prime Minister, also paid hotel workers in Grand Bahama off when a hotel was forced to close.
Charity is an important thing to the human condition. Governments doling out money that they take from the community under the threat of jail time etc is not cricket!
When will the run to the public purse stop? When will family and community members assist each other?
Socialists have an interesting way of perverting the responsibilities of government.
I need help with my power bill also, but I wonder what criteria they will use to discern the needy from the greedy?
(handouts via patronage)
What if I pay my power bill on time but could use some help with my mortgage?(help this way, not that)
How long will the private(taxed) sector withstand the pillaging of the result of their efforts?(productivity)
Perhaps as they go out of business the government will bail out the employees etc(increased pillaging on what remains)
All the government has, it get from the people. When the people have nothing left, what then? Your life for the state?
We need to send the article about Senator Dave Crockett titled “Not yours to give” where he tells the story of how he was admonished by one of his consituents for voting to give government funds to a group of people who had lost their homes in a fire.
He let him know that if he wished to give his own money to help, that was fine, but he did not have the right to give Government funds.
Your are right Rick. A thorough study of the consitution should be required reading for every member of the House, particularly the PM.
I think part of the problem is that we as a country have drifted so far away from, and so undermined our constitution, that those in “officialdom” cannot correlate it to their own heady existences.
power has been so fully vested in personalities and individuals that to return to the rule of law would be tantamount to stripping them of their authority. I’d prefer a public flogging but……
As I’ve said before, part of our mayhem is due to the fact that the politicians have undermined the structures that provide for themselves as persons in positions of authority.To most of them, this authority equates to priviledge and power.
I am having some trouble with my mortgage, paying rent for my business, school fees AND my electricity bills, phone bills, cable bills and gasoline costs. I am serious! I regularly work 12 to 15-hour days, including weekends, to try to keep up. So how do you sign up for this help? Okay, I am, kind of kidding…but tings tough.
No one has the right to decide to distribute public funds to those in this kind of need. That’s where the vital role of the church, community service groups (e.g. Rotary), philanthropic organisations, and personal contributions is played out.
In cases such as catastrophic damage, as Inagua is facing now, certainly those are the situations where emergency funds are activated to restore infrastructure, order and sustainable existence. And in the SHORT-TERM, public funds can and should be used to provide food, shelter, medication, etc to those who have lost these basic needs.
But, to pay for utility bills during tough times? Uh, no.
The old saying
“borrow from peter to pay paul” is an apt description for our governments modus operandi, just substiture “borrow” with “take”
Peter will get fed up, and opt out.
A friend advises that over 45% of the educational scholarship loans are in arrears.
What are we going to do, donate that as well?
Funny how so many people believe they are getting something for nothing when the government gives it to them.
Unfortunately most of the politicians will not tell the people what they really should.
If I was wealthy I would take the government to court on this one.
You have a court that works?
A court that will hear such a case?
If so I know at least a dozen constitutional issues we could have heard.
Money is not really the issue, it’s will the people ever develop the will to fight for their own existence and potential?
Hi all,
When it’s part your fault, you tend to do what you can. 5k consumers, without power, probably damages the psycheof the Bahamian people and thier power ove their economy, than letting some false sense of idealism warp what was a pretty decent thing to do.
Now, they would have to find a way to pay. But, if they had left the debt repayment system alone at BEC, many consumers would not have to be tapping into the treasury. Also, if they had some extra money- ala jobs for the second person in the home, or a higher salary, which many businessmen and women get away with NOT doing, we would not be having to pay for it.
Rick: what about all those free, or, next to free cars you bring in? Who’s going to buy those? People don’t have any money, because folks like you,m want to get around taxes – lobby for lower one’s- and have the government, hike taxes on essential goods. People don’t need a car every other week, they need books for their school kids, bread and water!
Best,
Bill
Dear Bill:
Why not suggest it is entirely our fault?
As long as you raise taxes beyond what people are willing to pay, it doesn’t matter if they are people like you or people like me, human nature takes over.
However, I pay my taxes and operate within the law.
Last time I checked, we have no tax loopholes.
More importantly, if government creates the disincentive for wealth creation, I think your economics lessons, taught you what will happen next.
Have you read the recent book, The Forgotten Man, by Amity Shlaes?
Bye for now.
Rick.