But you forgot to mention that most of one's salary is take-home, unlike the large chunk (30%+) of one's income that is taken for taxes in the U.S. So things tend to even out somewhat.


I agree with everything else you said, but for sure it doesnt even out. The cost of living in Nassau is at least twice that of the US, and more in some areas. The minimum wage is much much lower, and there are really no laws that work to enforce any of this. With customs and stamp tax, we end up paying much more than the US for the same thing, in the long run. I believe they should bring in Income Tax and do away with Import Tax, it would be better for the poor man, and also perhaps they would also actually do something with our tax money besides spend it on disgruntelled workers in Freeport!

One thing though, even with our large price of gas, they do end up paying more in the US even though it is actually cheaper, as they drive much longer distances than us here ...

Well let me enlighten you about Imigration in the Bahamas

I have travelled the world for more than 25 years, and i have seldom seen such a pile of arrogant, suspicious bastards in my life. Exept maybe in the old Soviet Union.
Talk about a bunch of (NAZI's) rasism is the key word here, so how the tourism in The Bahamas will grow the way thing are going now i have a hard time to see.
Three years back i was not as bad as now, so you explain to me what happened??????

Let me explain to you why i still am in The Bahamas(because i know you will ask). I am happily married to a Bahamian and i have my family, and not all is bad, but thing doesnt stop to amaze me when it comes to the cruelty that Bahamians are capable of.

So my advice to you who are thinking about moving here, DONT, but keep coming back as a tourist and enjoy the tourist side of the Bahamas.
I know many peple who already has left, and they are struggeling to get rid of the properties the bought some years ago.

ostrom

on the eastern road every one is selling out their home i never see anything like that ever, something is wrong

i didnt subsribe to this thread so i didnt respond to NASBWI. but i am back

NASBWI, EVEN OUT WHERE. my friend i am an objective thinker and look at both sides of the pasture and haveing lived and worked in both the bahamas and the USA i can tell you it for sure does not even out. here is y

lets say a person stock shelves at walmart in the usa making 7.50 per hour with room for advancement gross take home will be 1200 based on a 40hr work week. net will be 1080 after FICA,SSI,FED&STATE TAX. (some people in nassau with a college degree makes just a little more than that about 1500) in my example the person made 1080 working only 40hrs a week if he chose to work somewhere else another 10-20 hrs or if was allowed to put in 10 hrs overtime at walmart he would make far more than 1500 a month. so in essance this average uneducated american joe is making more money than an average educated bahamian

now add in the factor that things are cheaper: food, gas, cars, clothes, essential service :light water, phone etc

now add in the factor that although american pay taxes they can see where that money is goin: their kids ride to school free, schools have good extracurricular activites besides the basics of track,b ball, and v ball. they have swimming, football, tennis, chess, etc. the food stamp program, the housing authority program, the infinant number of federal grants (not loan
) these american high school students can get for college is ridiculas, they have good people service i.e an ambulance or police officer doesnt take a year and a centrury to get to you

the tax dollars that americans pay for the most part goes back to them indirectly through the above mentioned ways and even more. too many to list.

you get the picture

now lets take into account a stocker at super value, i dont know exactly how much min wage is in the bahamas but it is definatly not as high as the USA. it is somewhere between 4.37 and 5.15 so lets take 5.15. ok joe blow stocks shelves for 40hrs a week at 5.15 he takes home a gross of 824 which he gets to keep YEAH for him right!!!?? wrong

factor in that gas cost an arm and a leg, grocery is through the roof, well he work to super value so he might get a discount. essential service are expensive light, water, phone, car insurence, life and health insurence, lets not talk about rent etc.

now lets factor in the fact that although the public educational system is ok its just that ok, when it should be exceptional. where are the grants( not loans) for our bright bahamian students, where is the help in housing for the needy, and i aint talkin bout them expensive match boxes the plp and fnm put up cuase thats a scam, thats another thread in itself. where is the effeciant emergency services": the firefighters get there when the place done burn to the ground, the abulance reach when the person is dead, and the cops get there after the crook is long gone. why are the round so bumby? etc

i want someone to tell me how this "EVEN'S OUT"

the government of the bahamas would like you to think that we dont get taxed and becuase americans, canadaians, europeans are taxed directly "things even out" you see bahamians dont realise they are being taxed indirectly and becuase of that they are being robbed blind. but it will not hange until bahamians take a stand against it

One thing though, even with our large price of gas, they do end up paying more in the US even though it is actually cheaper, as they drive much longer distances than us here ...



this statement is so false more expensive is more expensive lets say
american joe fills up his nissan altima with gas at 2.00 a gallon, gas is actually less now but lets just say 2.00 cuase its the national average his car has a 12 gallon tank so he pays 24.00 for a fill up his car gets 18 miles to the gallon so he can drive 212 miles for 24.00 or 0.11 cents per mile

now lets take bahamian joe fills up his nissan altima with gas at 3.85 a gallon, the ultima has a 12 gal tank so it cost him 46.20 for a fill up. remeber it is the same car so it get the same miles to the gallon so bahamian joe can drive 212 miles for 46.20 or 0.21 cents per mile, is this fair, is this less expensive?

my point is no matter how you slice it when you fill up ur car or put gas in it you exuast fuel meaning you can calculate how much it cost you per mile so if you as a bahamian paid more than someone else at the pumps its gonna cost u more per mile to drive, get it.

another thing to factor in is that USA gas prices fluctuate constantly whilst bahamian gas prices stay pretty constant as i speak right now the gas her is back between 1.75-1.99 per gallon and i heard that gas in nassau is still well above the 3 dollar mark!! IT IS NOT FAIR

the bahamian government loves when bahamians rationalise things the way you did and the love when bahamians say well we dont have income tax so things "EVEN OUT" becuase it keeps the people blind to the truth.

I just know americans in my industry that drive 2 hours to a service call, from one state to the next one, and thats doing 70mph .. then 2 horus back, in a gas guzller, they can do the same amount of service calls as me but spend 10 times on gas, so end up making less in the end. BUT, everything else over there is cheaper so yah know ... they still win! ;-) Im not trying to rationalise the tax here trust me im all against the crap the govs pull on us in regards to customs when they dont do anything with it .. just look at nassau, where exactly are our tax dollars spent . hmm, 5 million to some disgruntalled employyes in Freeport . :cool:

dont forget the million dollar bleachers

Good day.
To all the americans ( Re: typist) I hope your stay in the Bahamas is well received and pleasant. The people for the most part is very friendly and do care about each other, on the other hand keep in mind that as human beings there will be some exceptions. Thus, the Gay idea is only people with personal preferences in which everyone is entitle to. also keep in mind that this is not just an issue in our land but as far as the globe would allow critiques.

Therefore,I challenge you ( all of you) to look at the bright side and realize that people will differ in opinions, preference and creed; however, this can't and shouldn't be generalize. On a more fun note!!!!!!!!!!Have fun in the sun and try the conch salad it is the best!

Much love

Racquel

I just know americans in my industry that drive 2 hours to a service call, from one state to the next one, and thats doing 70mph .. then 2 horus back, in a gas guzller, they can do the same amount of service calls as me but spend 10 times on gas, so end up making less in the end. BUT, everything else over there is cheaper so yah know ... they still win! ;-) Im not trying to rationalise the tax here trust me im all against the crap the govs pull on us in regards to customs when they dont do anything with it .. just look at nassau, where exactly are our tax dollars spent . hmm, 5 million to some disgruntalled employyes in Freeport . :cool:



well of course an american drivin a tahoe, suburban, expedition, or excursion (americans love thes vehicles) will spend more on gas than a bahamian driving a nissan sentra (bahamians love this car) but when u really average it out bahamians get the short end of the stick. i wonder of the reason things are expensive here is becuase all memebers of the political parties make money, so to speak. they live it up out west and east, eat big time dinner 24/7, (anyone notice that when someone get in parliment they put on weight?), the get discounted airfare (bahamasair), discounted light and water, free Brand new crown victoria, (blue with dark tints seems to be the colout of choice) and I hear they get to bring things in duty free to. so in reality the people who we put in charge to change laws and to make our living standard better really dont know the plight of the average bahamian. tell me if i lie

he he ... actually I drive a gas guzzler also .. :-)

but yeah ofcourse getting in politics is all about making money and getting something for nothing ... Hmmm, wait a sec .. what are we doing wrong ... we need to jump on that bandwagin too! LOL ..

rory as i sit here i am thinkin about running for office man. i already have the slick words and know how to pick people brain. all i need is a sharp suit and i ready. i already have a campain spin and everything, i will turn everyone against the PLP and FNM and run dem otta town. of course i am joking but sometimes i wish fantasy could become reality.

they already got them people brainwashed though .. no turning back for them ..

Good day.
To all the americans ( Re: typist) I hope your stay in the Bahamas is well received and pleasant. The people for the most part is very friendly and do care about each other, on the other hand keep in mind that as human beings there will be some exceptions. Thus, the Gay idea is only people with personal preferences in which everyone is entitle to. also keep in mind that this is not just an issue in our land but as far as the globe would allow critiques.

Therefore,I challenge you ( all of you) to look at the bright side and realize that people will differ in opinions, preference and creed; however, this can't and shouldn't be generalize. On a more fun note!!!!!!!!!!Have fun in the sun and try the conch salad it is the best!

Much love

Racquel



if you are in Nassau stay away from conch salad or anything that isnt cooked .. at least if it is from Montagu, Potters or Arawak Cay .. they like to leave the conch in the water where all the deisel boats are, and sewage too if we are talking montagu .. in fact dont go anywhere near Montagu .. Resturants probably are the only safe places to eat conch salad .. if in fact they get their own conch .. who knows really we have no active health dept.

say dont go near montagu; God knows I never eat there cuase the smell is enough to make me vomit. but i dont think agree with Rory about only eating conch at the restuarants becuase they are nasty too, it is just less evident. it is definatly true that we have a somewhat worthless health dep. but it is not like MEXICO where drinking mearly water will make you sick. heres what i say eat up the conch salad anywhere except montagu. come to think of it i have never met any one bahamian or tourist that got sick off of conch salad.

to Raquel; tourist, especially americans, do not need to come here for conch salad or conch fritters. anyone can get the good stuff in KEY WEST. but come here for it cuase we need the money more :heartbeat

Don't listen to ostrom, it's not like that at all. The only problem we are having with foriegners are the illegal immigration. Actually the mass migration from Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba etc.etc. We had a such a strong economy here that it produced alot of foriegn workers. Mainly those from third world countries who were fleeing poverty and/or dictatorships. It took a toll on us as it still is till this day. Every government has a responsibility to its citizens to ensure the way of life and protect the rights of its citizens. We welcome highly trained and educated people to this country to enhance the strength of our professional workforce. Girl, nobody here is hating on you. We welcome people like yourself to our little country. And lets make the Bahamian-American connection a little bit stronger.

Until next time,:bye2:

that a big lie, we hate all none bahamian, i have seen this all the time, where do you work?? not a big corpration i guess not, i know it i have seen it and if you ask the one that are providing job for us, if they want to be honest they will tell you, bahamian dont like other people from other country,and they are teaching their children the same thing,

that a big lie, we hate all none bahamian, i have seen this all the time, where do you work?? not a big corpration i guess not, i know it i have seen it and if you ask the one that are providing job for us, if they want to be honest they will tell you, bahamian dont like other people from other country,and they are teaching their children the same thing,



this is so true most bahamians are indimidated by ALL immigrants and they like to talk bad about ALL of them. no matter where you from america, haiti, jamiaca, canda etc. they will find somthing to dis you and mudder it under their breath. the laws are biased. a white man with money from canada, america, or europe has a better chance of immagrating than a stuggling family from jamaica. this is why i respect america, becuase this type of unbiasness doesnt not exist. it is a equal opportunity for all system. and it is true that most bahamians teach these anti-foriegner traits to thier children but not directly, indirectly through the converations they have around their children. ex."vell where dat haitian man gone, he bedda come weed my yad for i call immigration" ,"who dis flat hip white women tink she is comin in my coutry tellin what to do" mind you they work for the woman, that ur boss she suppose to tell u what to do.

people i dont care how you slice it this is poor attiudes, trust if absolutly NO FORIEGNERS ever came to the bahamas it would be finish. In fact I think it is safe to say that FORIEGNERS have contributed way more to the bahamas than our own people.