By PAMELA BURNSIDE

THERE is so much confusion going on in our country, it is overwhelming. Once again we have indeed become a “nation for sale”.

It is truly a frightening state of affairs when each day brings to light another confusing debacle being perpetuated by “gubment’s” total mismanagement of the country’s affairs and purse.

The following is a list of some of the many serious issues that now face the Bahamian people:

1) Protection of Bahamian sovereignty: examples abound showing how the “gubment” is being dazzled and hypnotised by the dangling of monies before their myopic eyes. How much more of our Bahamian soul are they prepared to barter for pieces of silver? The recent debacle concerning Andros is a glaring example of the direct abuse to our sovereignty.

a) Giving permission to initiate dialogue with the Chinese to hand over control of our main fishing, food, water, and landmass belts in Andros, and stating that it is a “good idea” because “Bahamians seem to lack interest in agriculture”? Seriously Minister? Just how deeply are you entrenched down in your rabbit hole of illusionary reality?

b) Seriously, Mr Bahamian Ambassador to China, have you paused to consider the ramifications your suggestion poses for your/our country, your/our children and your/our children’s children?

c) Then again, if your plan to showcase Bahamian culture for the upcoming China/Bahamas Accord celebrations by transporting Junkanoo Carnival across the waters to China on the public’s dime is any indication, then we can bemoan yet another example of a skewed view which will work to our detriment.

d) China has billions of people to feed and they have demonstrated over and over again their disregard for environmental sustainability by their overfishing disasters all around the world. Our waters are some of the last in the world teeming with resources which we must protect fiercely and without compromise.

2) Measure twice, cut once: translates into proper planning to introduce a new system for car licensing so that it is implemented without all the ridiculous confusion that is still continuing days on end. Seriously, Minister? You will go on the public airwaves and admit that the debacle is “unacceptable” when it is actually your purview - the buck stops with you. Get it right!

a) The new system is operating in tandem with the former licensing process and products which is still operational. Is this an extended period of inefficiency in order to further accommodate the ‘tiefing’ experts in the civil service?

b) No licence plates? Many persons might not remember that the prison used to make the licence plates in the first beginning ... so why was it taken from them and given to another ministry who “messed up”? But wait, it is now being parcelled out to a foreign entity to fill in the gap until it can be sent back to the prison! Say what?

c) Signs and help? Not anywhere, and not a soul knows naught, who cares if people suffer so - tough luck, it is your lot!

d) Three forms of identification needed “to minimise fraud” versus the tens of millions of dollars that went missing from Road Traffic (and other ministries) - say what?

e) Four trips needed to licence your car or get a driver’s licence renewed, standing on different lines for hours, come back to collect this and that …. reality check. People have to take time off from their paying jobs because of “gubment” inefficiency and more than likely are getting their meagre paychecks cut because of it, whilst civil servants are getting paid regardless.

f) Special police scanners are apparently needed for retrieving information from the new licence decals, but they are not on the island yet - say what?

3)  Fiscal responsibility: the newspapers are only reporting more and more “gubment” borrowing:

a) For hurricane relief and restoration (no contingency funds put aside or action plan developed following Joaquin a year ago);

b) Millions more for waterworks (say what? ... since the “gubment” received a huge US$28.5m loan from the Caribbean Development Bank loan this year for a Water Improvement Project);

c) New Urban Renewal offices (say what?… and immediately after the PAC report has just been released outlining multiple disappearing money/tiefing debacles?);

d) The gubment dem have made no announcements of any cutbacks in spending;

e) Why hasn’t National Health Insurance been postponed?

f) Gubment trips abroad continue, including a recent sizeable contingent to a Buddy Hield game;

g) Soon time for the next credit rating visit and trying to blame Matthew for that too isn’t going to fly.

4) University of The Bahamas: Charter day approaches with a big time, spanking new expensive entrance. But the old building is dropping down, the classrooms are a shambles with broken chairs and desks and supplies for the students are lacking. Nevertheless, millions will be allocated for a “new brand” student dorm for thousands of students (coming from where exactly?), just like the ones involved in the ridiculous BAMSI debacle;

5) Hurricane preparedness:

a) The radar saga from year to year … it took Matthew to blow the Met officers out of the building first, and then another employee to be carried away on a stretcher after hurting his leg in the dilapidated building to get the commitment to purchase the proper system;

b) BPL: advance warning that the hurricane coming for sure, sure from down south way and you know you lack necessary equipment for recovery (bucket trucks, diggers, etc) which you have at your affiliate company in the north, but you wait instead until the hurricane come and gone, and done destroy everything before you actually send for the trucks and stuff, and forget to call all hands on deck to effect restoration - resulting in your customers having to wait and suffer for days and weeks for relief;

c) PMH maternity ward renovation: right back where you started - the doctors asked repeatedly for this to be delayed. Well, Matthew took care of that with some additional extras thrown in ... more money to be spent to come from where again?

6) Voter registration: after the unprecedented ‘wraparoundem’ confusion when the gubment’s chairman brazenly announced the results over the airwaves and Mr Parliamentary Commissioner’s voice was nowhere to be heard, maybe the public have cause to be wary of the security and efficacy of the voting system.

7) BAMSI: First graduation apparently completed so:

a) How many more students enrolled to justify the building of the two dorms, and the rebuilding of the one that was burned down?

b) Who is paying for the rebuilding of the dorm anyway, and how much more will it cost, and are there enough students to warrant it?

c) How much produce has actually been produced and shipped to the islands, and why isn’t the price of BAMSI bananas cheaper in the stores than the imports?

d) An agreement has already been signed with the Chinese to assist with agricultural and aquaponics (fish farming) programmes at BAMSI. How are those terms being reconciled in light of the recent scandalous Andros proposal?

8) Baha Mar secrecy: just like the potcake song, you only know Bahamian sovereignty when you need it. Court sealed documents are oddly expedient as they make it impossible for we, the people, to know who owns ‘Perfect Luck’ - a company formed, strangely enough, when Sarkis Izmirlian was going under, and Bahamian officials were jetting back and forth to China on a regular basis (does that give one pause?).

Meanwhile, another contender from the east is the one making statements in the press, flinging authority and the mention of money here and there, whilst “gubment” salivates.

a) Promises for a Baha Mar opening in early 2017 is conveniently scheduled just in time for when the general election is to be called - go figure!

b) Oh happy, happy day when Bahamians creditors are being paid by a ‘benevolent’ Bank? Say what? People beware - nothing is given freely and lightly. We have no idea what far-reaching conditions have been attached to this part of the deal.

c) China does not plan strategy for short-term gain. They are laughing at the gubment’s graviliciousness whilst they set up their legacy for their children and their children’s children for decades into the future. Meanwhile, our children’s futures are being destroyed big time by the gullibility of our so-called leaders.

9) “Gubment” Convention: cancelled because of hurricane restoration in spite of the fact that we have been chosen to become the first “smart” small island developing state (remember that press release earlier this year?) and Skype is still alive and well. The convention could have been “beamed” throughout the islands if they were really serious about having it … but blame Matthew once again and issue a sigh of relief for effectively scuttling any threat of Alfred Sears vying for the leader’s seat.

Our country is in crisis and “gubment” is living a lie. It is mind boggling and sickening to see that it is all a superficial sham of confusion to try and fool the people, and hide the problems bubbling beneath the surface. We cannot and must not be fooled, Bahamas - speak up, and save our precious nation!