Dear Editor,

Thank you for allowing me space in your newspaper to share my ideas with your readers and hopefully initiate discussion by the government, radio talk show hosts and by people in their homes, workplaces and churches about how we can help The Bahamas to become a better country economically and socially.
Before the arrival of Hurricane Irma I spoke to many persons about the idea that this hurricane was going to make this country better, and they looked at me in surprise. I explained that the hurricane was going to affect us psychologically and open us to the possibility of renewal - renewed efforts to rebuild our lives, our businesses and our country. I thought that the hurricane would remind us of what is important (God, people, family, community); strip our desires down to the basics (water, food, shelter); and encourage us to join together to overcome the common adversity, that is, the hurricane.
I am hoping that in the aftermath of the hurricane, which for many was not as bad as anticipated, we will all still have that feeling of community so that we can now join forces to overcome another common adversity: our endangered economy, another downgrade from Moody's. I invite persons to join in the conversation as to what each individual living in The Bahamas can do to assist the government to avoid another downgrade and to improve the economic outlook for, and actual economy of, this country. The pundits say that Moody's is watching us. Can you imagine what its watching eyes would see if we improved our country?
My idea is that each adult (18 years and older) living in The Bahamas should offer the government/our country one work day per quarter, four days each year, to work for our country for free. Offer your particular skill sets to the government to help it advance itself and to help us be a better country.
This would take coordination on the part of the government to decide what skill sets are needed and then how to utilize the free workers. Can you imagine if you were an employer and you got to use free workers every day to accomplish tasks your business needed to get done? You would be ecstatic!
As persons who live in this country, whether you are currently working or not, this is something we can offer which would assist The Bahamas in improving itself. I look forward to other person's ideas about how the "little person" like you and me can actually help this government to make it "Better in The Bahamas".

- Simone Morgan-Gomez

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