This is the second true Free National Movement (FNM) budget presented by the Minnis administration.  The very first budget being the result of the consequence of continuation of government, in that case a budget based on figures and projections put forth by the previous administration.  With this being said, it is amazing that the only major criticism to both FNM budgets has been the same; a complaint of being “uninspiring”

“Cooper: I don’t believe the numbers” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Deputy Leader Chester Cooper lambasted the government’s ‘uninspiring, unimaginative’ budget communication, asserting that he doesn’t ‘believe the numbers ‘put forth by the minister of finance.

Last week, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest said despite raising the rate of value-added tax (VAT) by 60 percent last year, the government will fall short this fiscal nearly $240 million short of its projected revenue target for this fiscal year.

However, Cooper shot that down during a PLP town hall meeting on Monday night.

‘I don’t believe the numbers and I don’t believe the spin,’ Cooper said.

‘Spin, spin, spin.  That’s all what they master.  They said that the VAT increase would have yielded hundreds of millions more than it actually did.  Then they want to tell you that it’s not important if they don’t collect that money, that only the deficit matters.

Copper said the government was;’too competent’ to collect taxes during the 2018/2019 fiscal year.

He also called the 2019/2020 budget a ‘tragedy not comedy’.

‘Listen, this budget is not for the Bahamian people’, Cooper said.”

“Then they want to tell you that it’s not important if they don’t collect that money, that only the deficit matters.”, to my recollection this was never stated as fact or even suggestion in any way but then what are facts as the Progressive Liberal Party looks to score political points.

It would seem that Chester Cooper is asking the Bahamian people to accept Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) propaganda over fact and logic.  It is very disconcerting that he would label the current budget as “unimaginative and uninspiring”, as budgets are about informing the country about the country’s economy performance and future plans; imagination and the selling of dreams should play little to no role in this process, and is probably why the previous administration had so much trouble keeping the country’s finances in order – caught up in imaginations and day dreams.

Even more disconcerting is the statement that “…this budget is not for the Bahamian people”, because it is my understanding that an improved economy benefits the entire country and not just a few as Mr. Cooper would have you believe.

So, what this really comes down to is a case of Progressive Liberal Party propaganda over brains, you either take the facts as provided by the minister of finance, who has admitted to the short falls of the last budget, and come to a reasonable conclusion,  or you can have him lie to you  and put forth unmitigated propaganda,  as the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) suggests that should be do, by being more “imaginative and inspiring”; while hiding the truth.

What is truly uninspiring is a lackluster opposition who only oppose to oppose, while presenting no factual evidence or reason to have persons to follow, beside blind partisanship

END