Dear Editor,
West Grand Bahama was the focus of national concern the other day. Our quiet settlement attracted most, if not all the big wigs in government for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Fishing Hole Bridge.
This development and move is near and dear to my heart as a native of Eight Mile Rock. Over the past 20-30 years, with the environmental effects global warming has had on our community and nation, immeasurable effort, time and concern has been placed on an economically feasible avenue to rectify the issue of the flooding of Fishing Hole Road.
Residents of Eleuthera (the Glass Window Bridge), Pinewood, Queens Cove and most recently our southern islands can all attest to the fact that during and after a natural disaster (or in our case sometime, spring tide), mobile access and accessibility is a crucial and critical component to the preservation of life; for this, no matter the underhanded political strategy associated, I commend this current administration. Thank you.
Now that we've done away with the niceties, let us dissect, shall we?
Grand Bahama: a national gem, unique, peculiar, strange even when compared to other islands throughout the archipelago.
Despite economic hardship, Grand Bahama has strived to preserve its culture of individuality and self sustainability (some would say to our detriment).
The early 90s showcased our resilience and united determination to "be the change we wished to see" in this nation, with the resounding, unanimous victory at the polls for the FNM; so much so, that the island has been dubbed "FNM country".
Now, self inflected kinks in the armor left the 'united front' open and susceptible to the persuasion of the 'elements'.
In the mist of deprivation, depression set in and the PLP's special teams went to work, pushing out the best political campaign this nation has ever seen. Soft words of promise spoken with conviction on our couches, strong words of courage and determination shouted from the podium. Like it or not, it was undeniable.
What we have born witness to with the groundbreaking ceremony of the Fishing Hole Bridge is what contractors refer to as the 'footin' to the political Hunger Games in Grand Bahama.
Prime Minister Christie made note of nine local developments ongoing or in the pipeline on Grand Bahama, two national developments and a political acquisition to strengthen the party.
Local development:
o EMR clinic renovated;
o West End clinic upgrade (January 2016);
o West End new school (2016);
o West End sporting facility (2016);
o Carnival cruise HOA signing (two weeks away);
o Aragonite debate (assessment underway);
o Deep Water Cay expansion;
o PharmaChem expansion (January 2016);
o MSC Academy on Grand Bahama (2016).
National development:
o Phase 5 of the container port expansion;
o MSC Ocean Cay Development.
Political acquisition:
o Norris Bain enters to fold of the PLP.
Now, If you are one of those that has dismissed the PLP as losers and has beens, you're not up on your political science, these were most definitely power moves. Let's cut through the confetti and get to the heart of the matter. The truth is, while all the prime minister mentioned is welcomed in Grand Bahama, they are but superficial matters and pale in comparison to the true needs of Grand Bahamians and to a greater extent, Bahamians at large:
o Our growth has been stifled been by the 'work-to-rule' position the GBPA has taken for the greater part of the last decade;
o Unemployment in the 'industrial capital' is the highest in the nation (given the demographic and population);
o There is a mass exodus of talent, skill, passion and leadership from the island;
o 'Out-islanders' (Grand Bahamas included) feel disenfranchised (a nation of Nassau-centricity);
o Grand Bahamians continue to lose their homes to the banks;
o Crime has increased exponentially over a short period;
o We have lost our political leverage nationally, with the gerrymandering of the Eight Mile Rock constituency (a self-inflected kink in the armor mentioned earlier).
And the list goes on...
Putting a pretty "bandaid" over a gushing wound while smiling and handing us a lolly pop never fixed a damn thing.
We need policy changes, introduction of real bills and acts that can and will, not only change the lives of our people, but empower them to shed that load of dependency off of the shoulders of the government:
o Land adjudication bill;
o Anti corruption act;
o Fixed constituencies;
o Mortgage relief;
o Small business development act;
o Tax exemption (health foods, medicine);
o Educational reform;
o Youth developmental programs;
o Programs the focus if which is to incentivize for real growth and development;
o Diversification.
Prime Minister Perry Christie, in an effort to solidify the efforts of his administration said: "There is every reason to believe that we are beyond the stage of making promises to people. We are at the stage of executing commitments."
Is it just me, or does that read... "we're done talkin' hog mess fa y'all vote, believe me. We really need ya' come 2017, fa real this time. Here, take this lil bone, we gat more where dat' come from, put us back in."
I don't know, I'm told I have a skewed view on matters sometimes...
I know this: it is imperative that we as a nation (Grand Bahamians especially) stay vigilant, sober, watchful an ever present. Gird up your loins, prepare for battle 2017; the battle for our future. See you on the field!
- Howard R. Grant
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