"There is no such thing as gratitude unexpressed. If it is unexpressed, it is plain, old-fashioned ingratitude," said Robert Brault. While expressing gratitude to Hubert Ingraham for his leadership of the nation would be appropriate, it never seemed something he demanded or felt comfortable with. He seemed often to believe that his was an honor by the people of The Bahamas and it was his responsibility to do the job for which he was elected and paid by them. The things for which Ingraham should be thanked are many but among them might be the following:

 o A commitment to free and open private media.

o A commitment to open democracy and accountability as demonstrated by gavel-to-gavel parliamentary coverage.

o The establishment of 24/7 e-government, enabling the public to transact with government over the Internet.

 o The new business license regime allowing perpetual licensing, establishing national licenses and mandating that licenses be granted within seven days.

o Enhancing the social safety net through reform of the National Insurance payments and benefits scheme.

 o Enhancement of the healthcare system in constructing the Critical Care Block of Princess Margaret Hospital, the modernization of the Emergency and Intensive Care Facilities of Rand Memorial Hospital, the constructing of the Abaco Mini-Hospital.

o The enhancement of the infrastructure of the capital city through the substantial upgrades to the road network, the water mains, the non-revenue water reduction program, the upgrade of the airport, dredging of the harbor and cleanup of the island.

 o The provision of medical insurance coverage to police officers, doctors, nurses and teachers.

o The modernization of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

 Hubert Ingraham's greatest achievement, however, might be the leadership he provided the country in times of crisis. There was never any doubt in the difficult times he occupied the helm of the nation that a true leader was in place. His coordination and discipline of the agencies and departments of government made for a unified government policy posture. His decisiveness made for greater efficiency in the execution of government business and often allowed businesses to be more certain as to the position and action of government on any issue. His work ethic pushed the work of Parliament to its limits, leading to the most aggressive and active legislative performance of any administration. His integrity led to clean government, with few scandals to distract from the business of governing.

His management of the nation's affairs during the last global economic and financial crisis, while controversial regarding the rise in government debt, was classic fiscal policy response to such a crisis, providing economic stability, social relief and support for the financial system of the nation.

Hubert Ingraham gave a lifetime for some to public service, and while there are those who had problems with his personality and style, no one denies that he was an effective leader who made The Bahamas a better place. He was generous in his effort on behalf of the people of this nation and his impact can be seen and felt throughout our archipelago. It would be simply too ignoble not to stop and say thank you.

 Thank you Hubert Ingraham.

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