By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
FNM LEADER Dr Hubert Minnis claimed that ‘Hurricane PLP” is single-handedly destroying the middle class in the Bahamas.
Speaking to The Tribune, Dr Minnis said it does not surprise him that more people are in need of welfare assistance considering the high taxes the PLP has placed on the backs of the Bahamian people.
He was responding to Minister of Social Services Melanie Griffin, who said there has been a “substantial increase in reliance on the government this year to feed and equip children for school.
“Poverty is going up but I do not know what they expect with all the increases in taxes that the PLP has placed on the public since coming in office.
“The introduced a processing fee on customs that placed a extra cost on people.
“The cost of electricity and the cost of food had gone up,” Dr Minnis said.
“It appears Hurricane PLP is blowing through the middle class. There is a serious erosion. Poverty is increasing, people can’t even purchase the food to eat, so they buy unhealthy food – eating that causes an increase in high blood pressure and diabetes.
“No one can live like this. The cost of light is almost as much as rent and mortgage.
“So of course more people need help.
“The PLP is destroying this country.”
Just two weeks into the new academic year, Mrs Griffin told The Tribune that so far, 1,606 families have requested uniform assistance for just over 3,500 children.
The minister explained that the situation is a direct result of the current state of the economy.
“With all that I have just said, we still have requests coming in.
“And from what we could see definitely we are about 200 over what we had last year in terms of uniform assistance,” she said.
“There is still a lot of need out there and we are doing our best.
“No government can do it all by themselves and the situation has been quite intense, so there is a lot of need.”
More and more schools have also said that there was an increase in the need to provide not only lunch, but now also breakfast for students.
Comments
TalRussell 11 years, 1 month ago
Holy Mary Mother of Jesus, first The Tribune replaced the Hubcaps pretense at humor column with my dear Comrade Sister "Sha'run" Turner's politically tainted-red comedic rantings. Now it would appear "since the sister hasn't been heard from for weeks now," that Minnis is their newest comedic replacement columnist? Whose next? Zhivargo or Loretta? Maybe Bran is under serious consideration?
concernedcitizen 11 years, 1 month ago
@Tals ..A FNM talked of course you would be the first post ,,lol ,,celexa is good for OCD ask your Doctor ,,
John 11 years, 1 month ago
Unfortunately the police and politicians are responsible for the demise of many small and medium businesses In the country. Politicians and passing laws that is squeezing whatever life is left in small businesses. And police seems to be using every tactic and excuse not to give assistance to local businesses. When these businesses call for assistance, many times they are told to come to the station to make a complaint. Sometimes since they are the only person in charge of the store they either have to close and go to the station or just leave the matter alone. In the cases of shoplifting and employee thefts, when the police do show up they ask if the company has security cameras, and if they don't, the police seem no longer interested in investigating the matter. But many business are not yet to the level that they can afford security cameras and even the smallest bit of effort5 -by bthe police can solve the crime. There have been instances where persons wearing ankle bracelets were committing criminal acts at business establishments and they police were called but never responded. In some instances the police refused to press charges against certain individuals, with criminal history when here was clear evidence against them. So when you see a lull in criminal activity, I maybe because the crooked police are "working". their legitimate jobs, but a number of them are involved I gang and criminal activity. They need to be weeded out from the ranks.
concernedcitizen 11 years, 1 month ago
You tell em helmet boy ,,,
paul_vincent_zecchino 11 years, 1 month ago
Over the decades, whenever it's in power, PLP keeps things interesting.
SP 11 years, 1 month ago
What the........This guy is confused!
Dr. Hubert Minnis as an FNM Cabinet Minister agreed to the sale of $40M in work permits bringing in 25,000 foreign blue collar workers into the country.
This resulted into the worst unemployment and crime disaster in Bahamian history.
Dr. Minnis is also guilty of bringing in foreign companies to carry out $100's of millions in infrastructural works that Bahamians were more than capable of participating in, during the biggest recession in iving memory.
Now, after driving the country into the ditch, and Minnis is no longer in power he does a complete 180 and blames the current government for destroying the middle class?
SHUT UP MINNIS!.....No one can be stupid enough to listen to your trash.
briwest1773 11 years, 1 month ago
Where was Minnis over the last 10yrs....we changed governments but nothing has changed...the middle class was suffering under papa and they are suffering now...is Minnis for real!!
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