Hey "Uncle Dickie"

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: : This topic is, believe it or not, foremost on minds of many Bahamians here.. not everyone by anymeans, but a significant number. The problem is we have no workable vehicle, or interest by : : the higher level officials that allow an objective : : approach to dealing with the situation. In most : : places many of the social and economic facts would be brought to the forefront by media...a strong strong influence that politicans generally find themselves necessarily responding to. This unfortunately just does not exist in our world here. : : Everyone likes to give their "credentials" so their comments will be considered. While that I feel is un-necessary, I must tell you that I celebrated my 50th year on Harbour Island this past may. The last 14 of which as a proud and : : participating Bahamian (only) citizen. I married : : 16 years ago into a long established Briland : : (gully) family...proudly and happily. I have : : five children, three of which carry Bahamian passports...and two grand children who carry Bahamian passports. When I go down the street : : dozens and dozens of youngsters hail me as : : "Uncle Dick". I have served as an elected : : official (Bd of Works)... as a national political : : officer, hosted Prime Minister(s), Cabinet Ministers. Am an appointed Justice of The Peace, : : and was recommended by the Gov't to be honoured by The Queen, which I was in 1999. : : Having said all that... having done and experienced all that for 50 years I must tell : : you that I AM STILL FINDING OUT THAT I REALLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND! The trick here is to be aware : : that I do not know it all... maybe only a fraction, and keep my brain and mouth shut : : much of the time. : : The point being that while we do see the problem of the future, there is so much buried social : : infrastrucure... positive and negative that : : those of us on briland.com dont comprehend : : that our well meaning thoughts have no direction : : to run. For that we must have the recognition and participation of Central Government higher ups : : of what is happening here... or what we think WILL : : eventually happen here. Unfortunately they have a tough job cut out for them and their priorities : : have to be put in line. There is negative un-employment on Briland (we bring in hundreds of workers daily from Eleuthera). The local economy is booming like no one ever thought possible. : : Things are not just good... THEY ARE GREAT! : : Now take that fact, as a politician and/or Gov't : : party... and it just does not work to hear how : : terrible things are in Harbour Island,,,, when : : these people have islands and comunities to deal with that don't even have electricity or schools, or clinics,etc yet!! : : I am not letting them off the hook... but I do understand the problems. : : The situation is two fold: 1. The middle age : : group remembers when they grew up with no electircity in their homes (50's and 60's in many cases), when their toilet was outside, when running water in the house was rare.. when they had little or no contact with the "fashionable" : : outside world.. when shoes were worn only on sundays etc. (Old time ex pats here would call those the good old days quaint days... Brilanders call those days misery, poor and uncomfortable) Now these mid agers pretty much vowed that if at all possible, they would like to keep their childrena and grand children growing up in the same circumstances. I suspect that : : YOU & I would have much the same approach had it been us! Right? 2. While we have accomplished much,,, there is still little "worldliness" that has been experienced by : : Brilanders. They have not been away that much.. to places similar that have experienced the fate we feel may take Briland. If they have been away the circumstances wre such that they did not go for this reason and just did not absorb what we think WE have absorbed due to our exposure, education, etc. : : A few of us keep throwing the old request to Gvernment..( to two Governments now). Individually we get positive repsonse.. but little if any results. : : It is a tough road and one we hope we can find a solution to before it is too late. : : I could go on forever here.. so must curtail. : : Parting commnent is that I hope you expats who have interest and possibly holdings here realize just how much LOBBY POWER you could have if yo could get it together. Don't forget there are now : : upwards of 225 foreign owned homes here..all employng 1.5 persons full time... all paying : : Real Property tax... most renting these houses : : on the open tourist market... houses averaging : : 6 beds each. Think about it. Dick : Some of us don't get all warm and fuzzy when someone brags about giving up their citizenship, from any country...I know, your heart and soul are in Briland, but duel citizenship has been legal for many years.......

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