It is likely that we will have a General Election before the end of 2021. Without fail friends and family ask the popular question … “Who are you voting for?”
I wish to change ask a slightly different question.
What three (3) things would you like to see achieved for all of us? Yes 3 things to improve all our lives.
Please feel free to share yours as a comment below or send me an email at kean@smithkas.com
Below is my list of three (3) which are not listed in order of priority:
- Provide an adequate living wage adequate to maintain a reasonable standard of life in The Bahamas;
- Decrease inequality in The Bahamas; and
- Pro Domestic Land Ownership Policy regardless of age.
Living Wage[1]
I take inspiration from all of the labourers who work in The Bahamas and have dreams for themselves and their families. Unfortunately, without earning a living wage, it is unlikely that those dreams will ever be achieved.
Decrease inequality
The Bahamas Living Conditions Survey 2001[2] reported that The Gini coefficient for The Bahamas was estimated at 0.57, which was probably the highest in the Caribbean. If we continue along this path of inequality, I believe that our quality of life will continue to spiral down and out of control.
Pro Domestic Land Ownership Policy
On 24 March this year the Prime Minister tabled a resolution in Parliament which would give “young Bahamian professionals ” between the ages of 18 and 45 years old access to affordable land in an upscale community in western New Providence.[3] If professionals with their education and salaries need assistance to access affordable land then skilled, semi-skilled and labourers need a policy change from “yesterday”.
[1] Reynaud, E. (2017). The International Labour Organization and the Living Wage: A Historical Perspective (No. 90). International Labour Organization. https://ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_protect/—protrav/—travail/documents/publication/wcms_557250.pdf
[2] Department of Statistics. (2004). Bahamas Living Conditions 2001. https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/d01ce76a-75b4-4229-baae-af3b87b6816c/Bahamas+Living+Conditions+Survey+2001+report-Copy.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
[3] Smith, S. (2021, March 25). HOME SWEET HOME: PM outlines affordable housing plan for young Bahamian professionals. Eyewitness News. https://ewnews.com/home-sweet-home-pm-outlines-affordable-housing-plan-for-young-bahamian-professionals
Kean this is excellent! And critically needed. Here in the US it has been found that No one living on minimum wage can afford to rent anything decent in any city in the US. Service industry workers here in the keys cannot afford local housing and have to commute from the mainland. It all grows more intolerable by the day. If I had kids I would be frantic.
Milanne, indeed and that is one of the consequences. The national and state governments of many countries are developing a class of working poor people with their policies. I do not believe that they are doing so intentionally (hopefully not) but such policies do not benefit human society. The example you gave is revealing. Thanks for sharing. We can change this. We all need to ask for it … ask for what we want.