by Rick Lowe
Over the years Bahamians have insulated themselves from the services provided by the government corporations of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation, the Bahamas Telecommunications Corporation and the Water & Sewerage Corporation.
We have puchased generators for the constant electricity cuts, use the Internet to write e-mails instead of making phone calls and install wells or holding tanks to ensure a constant water supply.
But what happens when one of these contingency measures fail?
More specifically, what happens when the water pump fails? Well, you then realise that after 8:00pm there is no water - at least in some areas.
So then the questions arise: What do people do year round that do not have a holding tank or well for water when Water & Sewerage fails to deliver? What do they do do with their food when the electricity goes off? How do they stay in touch with their families without phone services?
So many Bahamians have insulated themselves from this reality because they do not have the patience to put up with less than predictable services. In other words, we have become numb or what can be referred to as the numbing effect.
The most important difference between government corporations and private business, is when we are not satisfied with a private company we can change providers. With government corporations the law protects their monopolies so bad service is ignored by the country's leaders.
And one wonders why so many of us hold government in such high esteem?
Maybe if we did not insulate ourselves so much enough pressure can be brought to bear so that these "essential" services will be more predictable.
But maybe it's better being comfortably numb?
What do you think?