by Edward Hutcheson
The local media has begun its spin on what the deal is about the decision of the government to allow the powers that be north of the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge to do as they feel in what is supposed to be sovereign territory; but even that must be questioned if we bring up the issue of access to beaches. We should be more concerned that in the space of one week, the present administration who came in on the platform of “Believing in Bahamians”, has managed to insult every Bahamian; PLP, FNM, DNA, those who voted yes, and those who voted no. It would have been better and a less painful if the public was informed, but we can accurately assume that this “legislation” was being worked on while the latest referendum was being staged. Maybe the Prime Minister can tell us different. It is almost 40 years ago that Parliament gave an “exemption” to the casinos even though this same political organisation is on record promising the electorate as they campaigned in 1972 that gambling would not be permitted in an Independent Bahamas. Ironically a similar “exemption” may have been given this weekend to allow Atlantis to roll out its new online gambling, without the legislation being approved, yet.
Where does this leave us? It gives us a true picture of what politicians do for foreigners and cannot so for Bahamians, if this is any consolation. It also gives us a look into how irresponsible elected officials can be. I will always be against gambling, but I felt the pain of the local number establishments; especially when you look at their historical support of our local political parties. If you are going to condone a vice, put it in the hands of the persons who have developed the local product and let the legislation favour them. As it stands now, it is not inconceivable that Atlantis’s online “facility”, will eventually go south and be in direct competition with whoever is left in the local market. Why would I say that? The only way that the Government is going to get out of this mess and the on going public ridicule is to give to Peter what they have given to Paul, and they will probably do it on or before July 10, 2013.
Some have conjectured that there will be an increase in crime if there are lay-offs in the local number businesses. That is nothing but spin. We must see it for what it is. There are two distinct groups in this country, the politicians and the persons they work for, and I am not talking about the voters. If we do not catch ourselves the only thing we will be able to do in the future is vote, and last weeks events tell us that our vote whether it is in an Election or a Referendum may not mean anything, because our elected officials are taking their orders from somewhere else; and they along with all of those personalities who claim to speck for us are only interested in keeping the status quo intact. We are a people who seem to put up with anything these past 400 years.
It is time that the “permanent tourists” in this country be reigned in, but it is really time that we who call ourselves Bahamians stop selling the birth rights of those we claim are our brothers and sisters. We cannot continue to be gate-keepers for those who can come and go as they please, no matter how much they are paying. There is only so much land and resources to give away, before the opportunists move on to greener pastures; and those opportunists are local and foreign. Maybe this is the year that even those who have their navel strings buried elsewhere will realize that this is one of the last places in the world where you can live the life you want to live and contribute while doing it, but they may have to see that those who lead and call themselves Bahamians have the same intentions. Do we believe?
April 29, 2013
See this post… from about a year ago. There are some correlations.
