Is the Prime Minister wise to hold the line on expenses, even if it means foregoing public servants pay increase??

Yes, wise to hold the line on expenses... but playing budget politics with the civil service.

It could be the clipping of the wings of some union leaders... only time will tell how it plays out.

They will get their monies in a supplementary budget in the period, or in an election year.

www.Dennis.web.com

Yes I think it is wise to withold the increases from the Public Service based on the current status of the country's finances, however, after withholding funds previously earmarked for increases from the civil service I also expect decreases in the salaries and perks of the Senior Civil Service/Cabinet members and politicians! I would also like to see improvements in incentives - exemptions/grants etc for individuals to relocation and help develop the family islands

No I do not agree with this. The civil servants should be able to receive these funds. There is no excuse why it should not be given.Taxes have been increased, cabinet members are taking a number of unnecesary trips, cabinet members are being allowed to spend money foolishly!I can go on with a number of items but I will stop there. All I have left to say is if they (PLP) plans to return after this reign this is not the path they should be taking.
Maybe it's time for a re-election!:rolleyes:

We need to pray for Our Nation, it's Budget, the Prime Minister and our Public Servants.

Let us hope that God sends some investors our way that will look out for our interests and not just theirs.

Lets all get this country on the right track.

I am of the view that all civil servants should be given their due increases consistent with the rate and schedule of increases of these fat cat parliamentarians. Most civil servants are already marginalized due to a meager salary base. In addition, their rate of increase is so minute such that it cannot offset the rate of inflation we are all beset with.

This is utter rubbish! Wasn't this agreement signed on a contract. A contract is a contract. Whether it was made under the FNM goverment or not it does not matter. The price of living is increasing daily. How are civil servants suppose to survive.
I suggest the following recommendations:
(1) a pay cut for the gussie cabinet.
(2) All of the un-necessary boards needs to be abolished.
(3) Nevile Wisdom should be required to pay the Bahamian people back for what they were raped of by giving up his salary for two years and;
(4) the members of parliament should be required to pay customs
Maybe then the government would be able to give the civil servants their due.

The PLP is paving the way for a sliding victory for the FNM.

It is becoming blatantly clear that the PLP goverment simply has a vendetta against the public servants. The PLP seem to be blaming the civil servants for their colossal failure as a goverment.

The failure or success of the MR CHRISTIE goverment must be laid at his feet and his alone. Commissions are good but many decisions are needed to be made in a timely manner. Christie new culture of commission after commissions simply brings the goverment machinery to a halt.

The hard working civil servant must wait to act. The PLP goverment has been in power for over a year with many investment that had been negotiated under the Hubert Ingraham administration.

All the goverment simply had to do was either sign off on those agreement or alter some or reject some. Either way it should not have taken them over a year to conclude those negotiations. You cannot blame the civil servants for that.

while it can be said that it makes good business sense to withhold the monies owed, it also make good business sense to reduce the prime minister salary along with the cabinet, newly appointed board chaimans which i understand in some cases makes up to $80,000 or more.

It lso make good business sense to have fired minister wisdom for the waste of public funds. It also makes good business sense not to give concessions at this time to the church.

On the one hand the prime minister stop payment on a contractual agreement and on the other hand gives concessions to the church calling it a politcal promise kept! how can he justify this situation. now we know for sure whos the real prime minister.

The withholding of the civil servants payraise is simply not justify in light of what the prime minister did not do. In light of the increasing prices for goods and services it seem almost inhumane to atleast not give the civil servants something. Help and hope is yet deferred.

I agree with the hard line on expenses, and in respect to the public service they will have make the decision as to whether they grant the PM's request. However what I would be concerned about is the lack of any contingency spending in the budget. Two days ago the Met office announced a busier than normal hurricane season and a couple off years ago we had to borrow for the damage that one caused, 9/11 came and we had to deal with that loss of revenue. Terrorism is far from over, and tension in the middle east is just heating up. This could be a rough year. With a contingency placed in the budget at least we would have the time to reposition ourself and to look for a stop gap source of money. If none of these things happen, and I pray for our country they don't, then we would be able to apply the contingency to the deficit. On another point the PM talked about, the proper collection of revenues to control the deficit. What happens to this collection if the public service decides to force an issue with the government, whoes going to collect the revenue. Budgets are a virtual entity and in many cases the closer to the wire you make them, the farther away the goals are reached in a practical application, unless you have a contingency.

Rumrunner you make so much sense. What part of "caution" don't we understand. Do we want what happened to Venezuela or Argentina to happen here? Let's not make a political issue of this, these are the hard cold facts. Do people want us to borrow even more money and how do we pay back what we have borrowed. No! A thousand times no! The Civil Service could also consider being more productive and efficient. In the private sector raises are not automatic. Many employed in the public sector shouldn't be there anyway. Don't get me wrong, there are some wonderful and hardworking civil service workers but some do not deserve a raise or a job in government. Let's be honest. The civil service will get their money or those who can't wait should apply for one of the many jobs coming on stream in the Family islands. May God continuje to bless the Bahamas.

I agree with you almost entirely, brownsugar. Including that unfortunate bit at the botttom about the FNM getting back in.


Originally posted by brownsugar
This is utter rubbish! Wasn't this agreement signed on a contract. A contract is a contract. Whether it was made under the FNM goverment or not it does not matter. The price of living is increasing daily. How are civil servants suppose to survive.
I suggest the following recommendations:
(1) a pay cut for the gussie cabinet.
(2) All of the un-necessary boards needs to be abolished.
(3) Nevile Wisdom should be required to pay the Bahamian people back for what they were raped of by giving up his salary for two years and;
(4) the members of parliament should be required to pay customs
Maybe then the government would be able to give the civil servants their due.

The PLP is paving the way for a sliding victory for the FNM.

We need to pray for Our Nation, it's Budget, the Prime Minister and our Public Servants.

Let us hope that God sends some investors our way that will look out for our interests and not just theirs.

Lets all get this country on the right track.


My questions are the following:
What investor will come when they see that we will make our own citizens less equal based on a religious belief.
What Investor will come when they see that there is no freedom from Religious persecution?
What investors will come when we have to take "Together" off of our Coat of Arms.
What investor will come when they hear our national anthem sung with a different word other than "together"?
What investor will come that is non-Christian or Christian believing in equality for all, when even in our constitution we will make many of our own citizens less equal because of Christian religious belief. Which Gestapo, SS, or Inquisition tactic will be used to make sure our second class citizens are kept under thumb?

This is the haunting. I said it would be of concern to hold so close to a perscribed budget.

PERFORMANCE BASED SALARIES

You do a good job, you get a raise.
You do a fair job, no raise.
You do a bad job, you're fired.

Rating Schedule:
A certain number of issues tackled per year
The number of Commissions that conclude their findings
Fiscal responsibility resulting in balanced budgets (surplus?)