WeblogBahamas.com

Have some Bahamians lost their minds?

by Sidney Sweeting, DDS (http://www.weblogbahamas.com)

The story in The Tribune recently of the pastor of a church displaying with pride his $68,000 Bentley ("like the Queen of England drives") almost made me lose my breakfast.

In a church with a membership of over 400 it is quite possible that a percentage of those members are either unemployed or have family and friends who are suffering financial difficulties. If it had been reported that the congregation had raised the equivalent funds to help their own members through these difficult times we could all salute them. To try however, to distort the basic tenents of the Gospel of Christ and to equate it to the worship of things material - in this case a car, is deplorable and sinful.

These are the same people who will be first in line to ask Government for an unemployment cheque or for help to pay their medical bills because their money has been spent in helping someone with a silver tongue to "improve his status in the community".

Bahamian Politicians and sand lot rules

Sidney Sweeting, DDS

When we were kids there seemed to be a game of some sort on most days -  marbles, spin the top, "rounders", rugby, etc. In most of these games there was usually someone who decided that the rules that had been decided the day before did not suit him on that particular day, usually because he was not winning by the established rules so he wanted to change them.

I was reminded of those days when I read the Tribune Thursday morning and was shocked, but not surprised, to learn that MP Glenys Hanna-Martin created an uproar in Parliament because she wanted to "raise an issue of public importance". She was denied this opportunity because the rules state that she was required to have previously served notice in Parliament that she intended to bring up the matter.

Let those Bahamians who make and enforce the laws set an example

by Sidney Sweeting, DDS

Before the National Insurance Board (NIB) continues any further with their exercise of harassing individuals and companies they should first require the Prime Minister and the former Prime Minister and members of their cabinets and other members of their governments to show the receipts of their national insurance payments for the past 35 years. Also, all supervisors, inspectors and other employees of NIB should do the same.

Then, and only then, should they feel free to ask the rest of the country to check their attics and storage rooms for their ancient receipts because NIB lost their own copies. Or, is this just another case of "don't do as I do, do as I tell you to do?"

Maybe we need a modern day Thomas Paine in The Bahamas?

by Sidney Sweeting DDS

While I might not agree with some of his solutions, much of what he has to say is right on target and relevant to The Bahamas.

Does the Bahamian Government consider everyone equal under the law?

Sidney Sweeting, DDS

There have been numerous complaints recently about NIB contacting people and businesses claiming that they they are delinquent in some payments, some as far back as the 1980's. The Tribune reported recently that two ladies in their 80's had decided to retire their housekeepers but they were told that they first needed to satisfy some delinquent debt from many years ago and NIB needed to see their receipts! That is considered unconscionable.

From whence cometh the arrogance in the Bahamas Political Class?

Sidney sweeting, DDS

It has always been a puzzle to me why our Government, FNM or PLP, appear to resent any advice from anyone who is not in the inner circle. It makes one wonder if each Minister, when presented with his articles of office, is then declared to be omniscient.

I will point to three glaring examples.

For many years education has been in a free fall and is now a national disaster yet each successive Government pontificates on their plans for education and they end up tweeking this and tweeking that and their "grand" plans end up being tantamount to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The country is now blessed with having Mr. Ralph Massey living in the Bahamas and he has done an exhaustive study on the country's educational system and, as a result, has made some brilliant suggestions for improvement in the education plans. Anyone who really cares about the future of our children would like to believe that our Government would be anxious to at least listen to what he has to say. Is it arrogance that prevents them from doing so?

Are illegal activities for sale in the Bahamas?

Sidney Sweeting, DDS

The lead story in the Punch yesterday stated "National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest has reportedly blasted Police Chief Reginald Ferguson over the raids by cops on numbers houses."

It also alleged that the PM and Turnquest accepted a donation of $100,000 last year for hurricane relief from the owner of the numbers houses.

The Bahamas is planning to do what?

by Sidney Sweeting, DDS

The general consensus in Nassau these days is that Government should remove all traffic lights and make it a free for all at every intersection because it would be better than having flashing lights and not knowing what is showing for the crossing traffic.

More and more people are deciding not to use the services of the Post Office because, as deplorable as the service has been in the past, it is getting even worse. Personally, we have had mail sent to us that has never been received - recently our home delivery of the Tribune was cancelled because we had not received a bill for payment that was due early March (it has still not arrived), we were called at our office and told that our telephone was about to be disconnected for the same reason. We have had countless cases of incoming and outgoing mail never reach its destination. Do they just sort every other bag?

The Ugly American

by Sidney Sweeting, DDS

Most people are familiar with the book by that name written in 1958 by Eugene Burbick. It is basically a compilation of stories about the US diplomatic corps and while the stories were fictional the characterizations were true. It tells how Americans would look down on other countries and their people because they were not "like Americans."

Unfortunately we still see a lot of that today.

My office has two sterilizers which have to be sent to Virginia periodically for maintenance. We sent one about six weeks ago, which was registered with our local customs, packaged the way it has always been sent, with the same papers and was shipped via UPS. We received word that US Customs is holding it in Louisville, Kentucky. They will not tell UPS why they are holding it and no one from Customs has contacted us and we have been unable to contact them.

Is the Bahamas becoming a frightened society?

by Sidney Sweeting, DDS

Try to imagine for a few minutes

You are the mother of a seven year old child and you are both at home sleeping and at 4:30 am you are awakened by loud banging on your front door with someone shouting "open the door or we will break it down". You start to frantically search for your keys and at the same time you hear a banging on the back door. By the time you get the door open both you and your child are terrified. Seven immigration officers rudely enter your home and start to terrorize you and your child. You offer to show them your Bahamian passport and you are rudely brushed aside. Not one of them states the purpose of their intrusion and they leave as abruptly as they entered.