When you’re walking around the office today ask your colleagues if they think government should do more or less for us as a people.
I know, it’s a pretty broad question, but give it a try.
I’ve tried this thought experiment hundreds of times, and more often than not, people say that government should do more.
When they’re asked where government gets the resources to “help” Bahamians, few make the connection that government cannot give anything without taking it from us first.
Fewer still will donate out of their pocket to help the drug addict on the corner, but think the government should take care of them.
So there are many double standards when it comes to giving our own money and what we expect government to do with “other peoples money”.
And of course politicians are all too willing to make us believe they can fix all our problems, but along the way, seem to make the problems worse.
Now I don’t think for a second that politicians intentionally set out to make things worse, but I submit that the facts speak for themselves.
And now as the government faces a deficit out of control and debt levels beyond anything imaginable, the country sits on the precipice of a free fall where public finances are concerned. It begs the question, how long will it take for the political class to admit their mistakes and set out to reduce the size of government to help unleash the entrepreneurial spirit among Bahamians?
Never you say?
I agree, but where does that leave us in the upcoming government budget cycle?
As one of our bloggers stated recently:
I think we will see a 5% overall tarrif hike, or, more than a 10% hike on select tarrif headings or, some really wild hikes on so called luxury headings.
I do not expect any progressive thinking or action…
Let’s hope we wake up and stop encouraging government to do more for us. If we continue to encourage them to do more, we do so at our own peril in the years ahead.