by Edward Hutcheson
In this 40th year of Independence we will have to raise a discussion on the purpose of Budgets and Taxes. The current understanding that you “share out” the money that is budgeted instead of using a budget to cause investment initiatives so that you can apply taxes to what is produced seems to be lost on this administration. Past and present administrations seem to have a penchant picking an economy to death. It is not so painful if this “nitpicking” happens in a good economy, but good governance must understand that it takes money to make money along with the human component; a component that we have been downgrading over the decades, in favour of package deals from outside of the country that are not really investments.
Independent nations use what they have and the people they have, but we have seen fit to embrace anything that gives us a free dinner, has a legal fee or allows us to keep the status quo in check. If a nation is doing what it is supposed to be doing, the status quo is effected and affected and should be expanding as we march Forward, Onward, Upward, Together. However, it has been going in one direction for a while now, where persons who seem to be at odds publicly sit down to eat and drink to their hearts content; and they top the evening off by dancing the night away.
July 11, 2013.
Ha! I like the Picture attached, great De-motivational poster!
All too true though. Need to run a few hundred Tee shirts of that.
Policy based dissent is virtually non existent, therefore we will continue to pillage private assets and private initiative to continue the insanity.
Perhaps the greatest crime of our successive administrations is the strangulation of the mind, The building of obstacle courses for mere ordinary citizens to navigate.
EVERY SINGLE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT is chock full of Individuals quick to point out HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE, and how YOU NEED THEIR APPROVAL/PERMISSION/RUBBER STAMP.
This disposition of course emanates from the top, from the supposed leadership, leadership selected not for their capabilities, but in a year long popularity contest.
Civil servants have become paranoid, self preserving and obstructionist, fearing political backlash should they facilitate something that God knows who won’t like.
Understand, Civil servants have no power, they have Authority over certain functions derived from the act/law they should ABIDE by.
They cannot approve squat, the rubber stamp they (should)apply certify compliance with requirements written in law (requirements to be met.)
Doesn’t work that way does it.
We have butchered the rules and procedures beyond recognition and unfortunately we the people have reinforced this despicable behavior by accepting it.
There is only one way to correct this counter-productive situation.
Demand better.
en Mass.
Yeah, right…….
Are we to believe that government is a progression to political and economic self-destruction?? It certainty appears so.. Your commentary Oracle describes most of the developed countries of the world and many of the smaller pretenders.. The one common thread is the democratic electoral process by which governments obtain and keep absolute power..
In our Bahamas and The United States as well, governments are chosen through the democratic election process which has resulted in the concentration of absolute power in the centralized government.. Wealth and influence is attracted to political parties which profess to represent the interests of the people, but in reality only represent the interests of the party elite.. Over time political parties become the same in organization, scope and structure as their so-called platforms and policies promote nothing but bigger and more bureaucratic governments, increased and more wasteful deficit spending with higher taxes and more laws and regulations that in practice are unenforceable.. All this, we are told are for the benefit of the people..
Today when the people vote, they are in reality voting for the same kind of inefficient government only the cast of political characters are different.. Governments do not change, only the opportunistic politicians change as they promise the people everything but the truth.. In reality nothing is new, only the supporters and recipients of the spoils of office from a change in government are different.. We point fingers and call this corruption not realizing that this is the way governments perpetuate and continue to hold office..
We use to cry “power to the people”, but in the Bahamas and The United States it has changed to power to the State and the collective leadership.. Voters be aware, democracy rule is gradually giving was to totalitarianism and centralized control..
Tradewinds, I do not see any alternative end result given the behaviors (pillaging via taxation, personal power/veto/whim) that are existent in both individuals and the collective in the Civil service and the politico) and the private sector, Apathy, lethargy, confusion, repression/limitation.
The paralysis is the most telling, both in development and the ability of personal initiative to break through the Muck.
There isn’t any development, save mega stupid Inter-Governmental land for leverage swaps.
Absolutely this describes most western Governments and countries.
The democratic process vs the model of Governance (Constitutional usually, rules based) is facing the same dichotomy that is observed at election time:
The dirty tools dept needed to fight in a “democratic” election process are not the the same tools needed to build/run a country.
That tool box never seems to get used.
Neither administration in the Bahamas even bothers to Gazette anything any more, instead posting to an often non functional Government website.
This undermines the the legal standing of “ignorance of the law is no excuse…)
If the rules are not published, but can change by mere utterances or side trips of this political leader or that civil servant….Ignorance becomes a valid defense.
Who the hell could know where they stand?
The battle then becomes one of power wielded either to attack or defend oneself or ones assets against who know what or whom.
when I get 5 different answers or blank stares from various “officials” when asked the same question,
none of which could possibly be extrapolated from or reflected in the written law,
I know I’ve hit the systemic breakdown again!
In the Bahamas both political parties support the same thing, bigger government and greater control over the people.. Both political parties seek to gain greater political power through higher taxes, more debt and higher deficits and increased laws and regulations overseen by incompetent bureaucracies.. We are quickly reaching the stage were the average Bahamian can not afford to support himself or his family with the basic necessities of life.. We are witnessing the destruction of the once growing middle class as what little wealth is created is being concentrated in the bureaucratic and political ruling class..
This is a process of social destruction where we and future generations of Bahamians are being trapped under an economic collapse orchestrated by our democratically elected government.. We have no one to blame but ourselves for in the end our political system and structure locks in the political power of the elitist class..
The real issue today for Bahamians is how can we escape from the economic mess our politicians have got us in?? The answer perhaps is found in two words “courage” and “conviction” which seem to be lacking in our Bahamian character.. If our leadership can develop prudent conviction and have the necessary courage to fundamentally change the direction in which the economy is going, then there is hope for constructive and positive change.. We know what must be done but will we do it in our National Interest?? Lets hope so, for there is so little time left..