More and more Bahamians are buckling under the weight of the rising cost of living and slipping below the poverty line in The Bahamas, a senior government official has confirmed.

Link To Original Article (http://www.jonesbahamas.com/?c=45&a=17437)

Very interesting article. First of all, if you take a look at who poverty is hitting, it is a young man who has been to jail, or an 18 year old girl with a baby, or a cleaning woman.

The very interesting thing (and this is what drives me crazy) that if you are trying to guage the economy, this article gives contradictory statements. Notice that the woman in the article has said that she is getting more jobs now.

These sorts of jobs are bellwethers of the economy. If tings are really really bad, you don't spend the $40 for a housecleaning -- you buy food.

My guess is that there are a few realities out there. The middle class is experiencing shrinkage, but not too much. The rich will always be with you, and buying expensive property, and the marginalised in society will suffer the most with economic downturns.

I get the feeling that although we are in a downturn, it is not that bad. However having tourism is always a risk factor.

Very interesting article. First of all, if you take a look at who poverty is hitting, it is a young man who has been to jail, or an 18 year old girl with a baby, or a cleaning woman.
The very interesting thing (and this is what drives me crazy) that if you are trying to guage the economy, this article gives contradictory statements. Notice that the woman in the article has said that she is getting more jobs now.
These sorts of jobs are bellwethers of the economy. If tings are really really bad, you don't spend the $40 for a housecleaning -- you buy food.
My guess is that there are a few realities out there. The middle class is experiencing shrinkage, but not too much. The rich will always be with you, and buying expensive property, and the marginalised in society will suffer the most with economic downturns.
I get the feeling that although we are in a downturn, it is not that bad. However having tourism is always a risk factor.We have always said that we should not or should never believe that tourism will continue to be the engine that drives our economy... in 1992 when the FNM came to power the buzz word was economic Diversification...

In my view lost of efforts were taken to stimulate and encourage the creation, expansion and promotion of small and medium sized businesses, thereby facilitating employment and import substitution ... but some how I now sense that not enough was done.. that we did not use the ocassion to educate the public and indeed ourselves that we had a vast opportunity to use the resources of the sea.. (fishing, snonges).. the land (farming.. ).. we allowed toooo many Bahamians to think that a job in the hotel was the end of all of our ills and the solution to all of our problems...

I know so many of my friends who gave up going to college because they got a hotel job that paid them well... now it is interesting to see so many of them trying to re-train themselves to meet the growing demand of techonology, and the Bahamian economy....

Sadly for us.. our education system is failing has failed so many and there seems not to be no light in sight to turn this around...

I have a great hope for the furture of the Bahamas.... but the road there in my view will leave a lot of people wounded...I am hearing so much stories of persons loosing hope ...

BUT my question is what do we do as individuals and what is the many responsibility of our government RIGHT NOW to ensure that we can arrive safely as a country/people to success...

Very interesting article. First of all, if you take a look at who poverty is hitting, it is a young man who has been to jail, or an 18 year old girl with a baby, or a cleaning woman.
The very interesting thing (and this is what drives me crazy) that if you are trying to guage the economy, this article gives contradictory statements. Notice that the woman in the article has said that she is getting more jobs now.
These sorts of jobs are bellwethers of the economy. If tings are really really bad, you don't spend the $40 for a housecleaning -- you buy food.
My guess is that there are a few realities out there. The middle class is experiencing shrinkage, but not too much. The rich will always be with you, and buying expensive property, and the marginalised in society will suffer the most with economic downturns.
I get the feeling that although we are in a downturn, it is not that bad. However having tourism is always a risk factor.

You can't POSSIBLY be serious. Mr. Lurker, the guy who has a consultancy firm in Canada, who drops over $1500.00 a day at the gourmet market, and vacations on PI, should be the last person to "feel" anything.

Look, the middle has been shrinking for quite some time now. Since the mid-90's. When you cut their access to capital, via the bank or home equity, you push more people to the poverty line. The only thing that keeps allot of "households" and "families" above the water, is the fact that most families, have long standing home equity or access to property via generation land- this is even being degraded.

The Bahamas is slipping into one big Ghetto (take no offence). The margianlized male, is a key indicator. Families can't feed themselves properly, let alone buy $200.00 at the grocery store- gourmet or not.

Working as a welfare officer in the community, I saw, not only poor people eat mud. But, people who thought they were middle class, feel the brunt of their loss of way of life and tasted mud and grew to like it.

Lastly, don't get a simply typo, and/or lethalogical statements, as you have highlighted, as something against the sentiment. You are not that simple, Lurker.

we had a vast opportunity to use the resources of the sea.. (fishing, snonges).. the land (farming.. ).. we allowed toooo many Bahamians to think that a job in the hotel was the end of all of our ills and the solution to all of our problems...

It's just very unfortunate that with all this water around us, that the Bahamas has not capitalized on it accordingly. If more Bahamians were involved in the marine industry, maybe we as a country wouldn't have the problem policing it against foreign poachers like we do. Where are the fish farms? We have the distribution centers like Paradise Fisheries, etc. but it's not enough.

we have white collar tastes on a blue collar budget and level of education :footmouth.

north eleuthera just lost two of its top bonefishing guides to age-related decline, but do you think many young fishermen are stepping up to the plate? even though we're talking about $500-700/day tax-free, "fishing" is somehow beneath our out island brethren.

(no offense to the sistren, just have never met a "bonefish sally" working the trade out here.) not everyone has an MBA or a law degree, you know.

You can't POSSIBLY be serious. Mr. Lurker, the guy who has a consultancy firm in Canada, who drops over $1500.00 a day at the gourmet market, and vacations on PI, should be the last person to "feel" anything.
Look, the middle has been shrinking for quite some time now. Since the mid-90's. When you cut their access to capital, via the bank or home equity, you push more people to the poverty line. The only thing that keeps allot of "households" and "families" above the water, is the fact that most families, have long standing home equity or access to property via generation land- this is even being degraded.
The Bahamas is slipping into one big Ghetto (take no offence). The margianlized male, is a key indicator. Families can't feed themselves properly, let alone buy $200.00 at the grocery store- gourmet or not.
Working as a welfare officer in the community, I saw, not only poor people eat mud. But, people who thought they were middle class, feel the brunt of their loss of way of life and tasted mud and grew to like it.
Lastly, don't get a simply typo, and/or lethalogical statements, as you have highlighted, as something against the sentiment. You are not that simple, Lurker.

I thought of a business idea for you. With your education, if you pay attention to detail and discipline yourself, you could turn out EIAs for the investors pitching projects in the Bahamas. When you get good, you can charge $50,000 per EIA.

I thought of a business idea for you. With your education, if you pay attention to detail and discipline yourself, you could turn out EIAs for the investors pitching projects in the Bahamas. When you get good, you can charge $50,000 per EIA.

Already on the drawing board--among other things, of course. Need some advertisement and some money coming in, to get out there and hold firm, while I do something, that is "so easy" to do- for me that is. Quantitative and Qualitative. I want to start up ASAP, but don't want to go to the bank to incur more debt- what I need to do, can be done, with time, but virtually risk and debt free and I want to do it right, while I manage other opportunities. In fact, want to keep things "close to vest" until I'm ready to really move. I'm trying to get out of this habit of running off at the mouth. Bad habit.

With that, Bahamian business culture, is very close knit as everywhere. This is not an issue. But, because we are so small, folks would rather go with a friend of a friend, rather than take a chance in the marketplace--especially freelancers. But, because it is so small, you can meet folks and get along, once you have other responsibilities taking care of themselves. So, good marketing strategies, are key. But, you need that to start off with.....and....a job, would keep you taking care of responsibilities, while you work. No one just up's and owns a business, with no colateral....that is unheard of. So, people, like me, need to work......until it gets sorted out.

More importantly, this Hubert Ingraham economy, needs to yield something that a brother can work with to further qualify himself, further. So far.....zilch! I know their are opportunities out there, and nothing is given...but, you have to get SOMETHING.

This town appears to not be for honest black men. That's the way I see it...until I see and prove otherwise.
:taped2:

I had two jobs, kicked out from under me. Another one, with a Govt. agency, where they sent a letter in the mail, dated in June 2006, and it arrived in the second week in May 2008, for a letter, I sent the first week---no way government moves that fact. Talk about random victimization!
:taped2:

This town appears to not be for honest black men. That's the way I see it...until I see and prove otherwise.
:taped2:

What about for honest white men?

What about for honest white men?

trying to trap me? i don't know about honest white men. so, tell me how you feel?
:)

Very interesting article. First of all, if you take a look at who poverty is hitting, it is a young man who has been to jail, or an 18 year old girl with a baby, or a cleaning woman.
The very interesting thing (and this is what drives me crazy) that if you are trying to guage the economy, this article gives contradictory statements. Notice that the woman in the article has said that she is getting more jobs now.
These sorts of jobs are bellwethers of the economy. If tings are really really bad, you don't spend the $40 for a housecleaning -- you buy food.
My guess is that there are a few realities out there. The middle class is experiencing shrinkage, but not too much. The rich will always be with you, and buying expensive property, and the marginalised in society will suffer the most with economic downturns.
I get the feeling that although we are in a downturn, it is not that bad. However having tourism is always a risk factor.Your writings sound so much like the people you like to make fun of...... " I don't feel/see it therefore it's only perceived........."

how quickly we forget.........

trying to trap me? i don't know about honest white men. so, tell me how you feel?
:)

I'm not trying to trap you, just wondering why you said this town is not for honest black men....what about honest white, asian, etc men.

honesty and successful business just don't seem to go hand in hand here......someone has to get greased somehow.....and that someone usually isn't needy and merely greedy........

I'm not trying to trap you, just wondering why you said this town is not for honest black men....what about honest white, asian, etc men.

I can only speak for black men, or for that experience. I normally deal with black men in my travels in the Bahamas. I don't know what you may be going through, in relation to you beinga prism for white men. The Bahamas is filled- 85% filled- with black men in the men population, in general. I don't see why it would be an issue, for me to indentify with the men of my ethnic background. Take it in the vernacular....unless you want to take offence to me being black and speaking for black experiences?

Are you trying to equate this to racial prejudices, hiphopanonymous?!?!

Your writings sound so much like the people you like to make fun of...... " I don't feel/see it therefore it's only perceived........."
how quickly we forget.........
:taped2:

It tastes like cake to me!!!
:hammer: