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Bahamian Politics Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM


Rick Lowe: The PLP and double standards
By Rick Lowe, www.weblogbahamas.com
Sep 14, 2014 - 10:03:08 PM

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Before the last general election the island of New Providence had been undergoing something called the "Nassau Road Improvement Project" and it seemed the PLP candidates were all about town expressing grave concern with the cost overruns totalling some $100 million.

I was opposed to all the borrowing necessary for the road improvement project, but no one can deny the benefits that have accrued to all road users on New Providence.

Now fast forward to 2014 and the PLP hold the overwhelming majority of seats in parliament and their next great idea to save the Bahamas is agriculture. Curious that this is not unlike the governments they formed in the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's.

They've implemented a litany of programmes and developed infrastructure throughout the country that would be the next great policy to save us from ourselves. Of course none of them succeeded as suggested and most of them have gone the way of the Dodo bird along with the tax dollars to "create" them.

Now the next great plan is something referred to as BAMSI on Andros island - The Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute.

According to various sources the project was to cost $20 million and its costs are now excess of $90 million. Bear in mind BAMSI is not even open yet and the taxpayers have seen no plans or contracts for this boondoggle.

Yet, after all their protestations about the road works, some of which were justified, those very same candidates at the time, and are now Cabinet Ministers, have lost their fiscal responsibility and moral outrage of just two years ago.

Of course this is only one case of wonton waste by this government that we have any tangible evidence of. Evidence that should be made available by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, that does not appear to be meeting. By the way, the PAC sits with a majortiy of Opposition members (FNM) of Parliament.

So often I am driven to despair by these failed public policies.

To paraphrase H.L. Mencken I've come to accept, no, not accept, understand that politics is about keeping us "alarmed and hence clamorous to be led to safety" by so many in the political class that menace us with a bunch of hobgoblins, real and imaginary. They are not about solving problems are they?

Yours in Liberty,
Rick Lowe
www.weblogbahamas.com

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his/her private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of TheBahamasWeekly.com

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