As it approaches the two year anniversary of the Davis’ New Day Government’s win at the polls to become the government of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, it conducts another survey to attempt to prove its popularity, but from the very onset; as with the very first survey – the results are very suspicious and seem to lack even a whiff of scientific validity to support a plausible and believable survey.

We all know that a part of politics is political “spin” but this just goes too far.

The First Time;

“PROGRESS REPORT: P.M. Davis receives 67 percent approval rating for first 100 days in office in new survey” EYEWITNESS NEWS WEBSITE – February 28^th 2022.

Excerpt from this article; “NASSAU, BAHAMAS-Prime Minister Philip Davis received a 67 percent approval rating according to a recent survey on the Progressive Liberal Party’s first 100 days in office.

The survey, which was conducted by Bahamian research and polling firm Intel Cay, polled 1,064 participants and is still ongoing.

The survey also gave an opt-in option for respondents to indicate which political party they support, which 33 percent supported the Progressive Liberal Party, 19 percent support the Free National Movement, and 42 percent said they were independent voters.

An additional six percent of people surveyed said they supported other parties, which included the Democratic National Alliance, the Coalition of Independence, and other fringe parties.

Of the respondents surveyed, sixty-seven percent said they approved of the way that Davis is handling his job as prime minister.

Davis received a 72 percent approval rating among men and a 64 percent rating among women.

Additionally, he received a high approval rating (93 percent) from people who identified as PLP supporters than respondents who identified as FNM (57 percent rating).

Meanwhile, Davis received a lower approval rating with respondents on Grand Bahama (58 percent) than he did with those on New Providence (68 percent) or on the Family Islands (71 percent).”

When this survey was carried out; the main question from others while PLP supporters “danced in the street”, was how reliable were the results, given that only one thousand and sixty four (1,064) persons out of four hundred thousand persons (400,000) were surveyed; this representing 0.266 percent of the population.

Well the New Day government and its supporters rejoiced in this “great accomplishment” and just as we thought that there would be no more of this idiocy; I mean to try the same stunt twice would be completely insane; they are at it again.

The Second Time;

“Approval of PM tops 60 percent – Survey results also show high overall approval of govt.” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Prime Minister Philip Davis and his administration’s job approval ratings remain relatively high two years into their term, according to the results of a survey conducted in recent days by the Bahamian market research and strategy firm, Public Domain.

Public Domain asked respondents whether they approve of the job being done by the prime minister.

Twenty-three percent said they strongly approve and 42 percent said they somewhat approve.

Nine percent somewhat disapprove; nine percent strongly disapprove and 16 percent said they don’t know.

There was not a huge difference in percentages when broken down by sex and age.

When asked if they approve of the job being done by the government, 21 percent said they strongly approve and 43 percent said they somewhat approve.

Ten percent said they somewhat disapprove and 11 percent said they strongly disapprove. 

Sixteen percent said they don’t know.

The largest “strongly disapprove” response came from males 55 and older — 22 percent said they strongly disapprove of the job being done by the Davis administration. 

Nineteen percent of males 55 and older said they “strongly disapprove” of the job being done by the prime minister himself.

The largest “strongly approve” response to both questions also came from males in that age group — in both instances, 28 percent said they strongly approve of the job the prime minister is doing, and the job the Davis administration is doing. 

Public Domain said it conducted a telephone survey September 5-7, 2023.

The main objective of the survey was to measure Bahamians’ approval with the job being done by the prime minister and the current government.

To achieve this goal, 589 residents throughout The Bahamas were interviewed using a random digit dialing methodology, the firm said.”

This time the results were that 589 of 400,000 percent were surveyed, representing .01473 percent of the population, I was really expecting that with all the “wonderful works” that the New Day

When this survey was carried out; the main question from others while PLP supporters “danced in the street”, was how reliable were the results, given that only one thousand and sixty four (1,064) persons out of four hundred thousand persons (40,000) were surveyed; this representing 0.266 of the population.

Well the New Day government and its supporters rejoiced in this “great accomplishment” and just as we thought that there would be no more of this idiocy; I mean to try the same stunt twice would be completely insane; they are at it again.

The Second Time;

“Approval of PM tops 60 percent – Survey results also show high overall approval of govt.” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Prime Minister Philip Davis and his administration’s job approval ratings remain relatively high two years into their term, according to the results of a survey conducted in recent days by the Bahamian market research and strategy firm, Public Domain.

Public Domain asked respondents whether they approve of the job being done by the prime minister.

Twenty-three percent said they strongly approve and 42 percent said they somewhat approve.

Nine percent somewhat disapprove; nine percent strongly disapprove and 16 percent said they don’t know.

There was not a huge difference in percentages when broken down by sex and age.

When asked if they approve of the job being done by the government, 21 percent said they strongly approve and 43 percent said they somewhat approve.

Ten percent said they somewhat disapprove and 11 percent said they strongly disapprove. 

Sixteen percent said they don’t know.

The largest “strongly disapprove” response came from males 55 and older — 22 percent said they strongly disapprove of the job being done by the Davis administration. 

Nineteen percent of males 55 and older said they “strongly disapprove” of the job being done by the prime minister himself.

The largest “strongly approve” response to both questions also came from males in that age group — in both instances, 28 percent said they strongly approve of the job the prime minister is doing, and the job the Davis administration is doing. 

Public Domain said it conducted a telephone survey September 5-7, 2023.

The main objective of the survey was to measure Bahamians’ approval with the job being done by the prime minister and the current government.

To achieve this goal, 589 residents throughout The Bahamas were interviewed using a random digit dialing methodology, the firm said.”

This time the results were that 589 of 400,000 percent were surveyed, representing .01473 of the population, I was really expecting that with all the “wonderful works” that the New Day claims to have been doing and has done, with this smaller sample of persons that the results would be higher than the previous survey – they actually declined.

I would really wish that that the New day government would actually get to governing as promised and stop playing these juvenile public relations games because they do them at the expense of The Bahamian people, who elected them to office to actually do better and not just claim that they are doing better. 

It is a blatant insult to the average thinking Bahamian citizen that does not follow each and every word out of the mouth of the prime minister or any other politician as “gospel” and actually thinks and rationalize things for themselves.

I dare say that this latest public relation stunt will cause the New Day government, as persons are already fed up with the direction that the country is heading in terms in the standard of living for the average Bahamian citizen as the prime minister keeps telling them that things are getting better.

So who is he really trying to convince with this lowbrow nonsense?

ENDw

claims to have been doing and has done, with this smaller sample of persons that the results would be higher than the previous survey – they actually declined.

I would really wish that that the New day government would actually get to governing as promised and stop playing these juvenile public relations games because they do them at the expense of The Bahamian people, who elected them to office to actually do better and not just claim that they are doing better. 

It a blatant insult to the average thinking Bahamian citizen that does not follow each and every word out of the mouth of the prime minister or any other politician as “gospel” and actually thinks and rationalize things for themselves.

I dare say that this latest public relation stunt will cause the New Day government, as persons are already fed up with the direction that the country is heading in terms in the standard of living for the average Bahamian citizen as the prime minister keeps telling them that things are getting better.

So who is he really trying to convince with this lowbrow nonsense?

END

Now since Prime Minister, the Hon. Philip Davis has completed the shuffle of his Cabinet; a lot of us are left like the coyote in the Roadrunner cartoon , after being passed at a high rate of speed, wondering – WHAT WAS THAT?

RESHUFFLE – PM announces Cabinet changes” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article;

“Prime Minister Philip Davis yesterday announced changes to his Cabinet two weeks ahead of his administration observing its second anniversary as government.

The changes include two promotions of ministers of state to substantive ministers.

Jomo Campbell has been moved as Minister of State in the Ministry of Legal Affairs and is now Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources. 

Pia Glover-Rolle, who was Minister of State for the Public Service, is now Minister of Labour and the Public Service.

Clay Sweeting, who was Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government, is now Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs. 

Alfred Sears, who served as Minister of Works, is now Minister of Immigration and National Insurance.

Keith Bell, formerly Minister of Labour and Immigration, is the new Minister of Housing and Urban Renewal.

JoBeth Coleby-Davis, who was Minister of Transport and Housing, is now Minister of Energy and Transport.

Zane Lightbourne, who served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, is now Minister of State in the Ministry for the Environment.

And Basil McIntosh, formerly Minister of State in the Ministry for the Environment, has been appointed Minister of State for Aviation

“In making these decisions, my priority was to strengthen policy execution, and to balance continuity and experience with renewal and fresh perspectives,” said Davis, who delivered a nationally-televised address at 5:30 p.m.

“Cabinet is a team, and as on any team, individual strengths and talents add up to make the team stronger.”

In announcing the changes, Davis had high praises for each minister.

Speaking of Bell, who in recent weeks has been mired in controversy as minister of immigration, Davis said he had “very substantial accomplishments”.

“In less than two years as Minister of Labour and Immigration, Minister Bell recruited a record number of immigration officers and oversaw a record number of repatriations,” the prime minister said.

“Because of his leadership, we have a new temporary detention facility in Inagua, which can hold 800 persons, reducing the time and cost of repatriating those who cross into our waters illegally.

“Also because of his leadership, thousands have been deported for immigration violations, and 600 migrants were taken into custody in Abaco this year alone.

“He has worked with the Royal Bahamas Police Force to target human smugglers, as well as those who break our laws by employing or housing undocumented migrants.

“During his tenure as Minister of Labour, the minimum wage was increased, and Labour on the Blocks job fairs across the country resulted in more than 3,000 job placements for Bahamians.

“I know he will bring his trademark energy and determination to his new role as Minister of Housing and Urban Renewal. Building affordable homes and building stronger communities is a priority for us, and doing it in a big way requires strength and focus.

“Keith Bell was part of the team that originally launched Urban Renewal. His experience and commitment to that mission will help to drive the program to even greater success.”

Speaking of Sears, who faced some challenges as minister of works and as minister responsible for Bahamas Power and Light, the prime minister said he oversaw the initiation of infrastructural improvements, as well as “the very significant repairs” which were required to make schools across the country ready for in-person classes after two years of closure.

Applauding Campbell’s efforts in the Ministry of Legal Affairs, Davis said he worked to bring important changes to the Department of Public Prosecutions and to the operations of the judiciary, 

“His leadership was an important factor in improving conviction rates,” the prime minister said.

“He has contributed wise counsel on a range of complex legal and policy issues. He has shown he can do the hardest and most important thing in government, which is to take a plan on paper and make it real.”

Explaining why he also made Glover-Rolle a substantive minister, the prime minister said she has been “another bright star in this new generation”.

He outlined her list of accomplishments, including her leadership of the first public service-wide promotional exercise in over nine years.

“She has significantly reduced a decades-long backlog of promotions, and resolved hundreds of pending matters related to back pay, gratuities, and other matters,” said Davis, adding that he expects Glover-Rolle to serve with distinction in her new role.

The prime minister also said that Sweeting “achieved much in these two short years”.

“From expanding education and training, to creating the Golden Yolk Programme, reopening packing houses, and investing in vertical farming, cultivation centres, and climate-smart technology, he has moved the industry forward for the country,” Davis said.

As the new Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs, he said Sweeting will oversee the “significant” number of infrastructural projects and upgrades that are underway.

“Pulling Works and Family Island Affairs together makes sense in our government because of the scope of our ambitions for our Family Islands,” Davis said.

“With two new airports already opened, and 14 more to go, and major roadwork’s across multiple islands, we are looking at transformative change.

The prime minister praised Coleby-Davis, saying she “revitalized a housing department that had not built even a single house in years”.

“She wasted no time turning things around, as the proud new homeowners in the Pinecrest and Renaissance developments can confirm,” he said.

As Minister of Energy and Transport, he said she will “do the critical work of bringing together and coordinating experts and teams from throughout our government to tackle our energy transition”.

“As many of you know, she has a background in providing legal counsel in the industry, and understands how to navigate complex negotiations with energy executives and companies,” Davis said

“Minister Coleby-Davis, whose dissertation for her Master’s degree focused on overcoming barriers to renewable energy deployment in The Bahamas, is going to be a formidable advocate for our country as we transition to clean energy.”

She is now the minister responsible for Bahamas Power and Light, the state-owned utility which continues to be significantly challenged.

In his address, the prime minister noted, “Light bills are inflicting a lot of pain across the board, and it’s no exaggeration to say that our country’s never-ending problems with electricity are holding us back.

“This is not an area where small changes will be enough. We need to reform and transform our energy sector.”

Davis also said while other ministers will remain in their substantive posts, there are some changes in portfolios.

He said a full list of responsibilities will be published later.

The prime minister also said as his administration moves forward with the next phase of implementing “Our Blueprint for Change”, some permanent secretaries and civil servants will be in new positions, to reflect efficiencies and expertise. “

It is a fact that if you should shuffle a deck of jokers and pick a card to fill positions; it will only be jokers and basically this is what the prime minister has done.  I feel that it is unfair for me to call all of them “jokers’; so rather they were normal cards in a deck of jokers and became “victims of causality”, sometime you just have to watch with whom you make your bed.

With the end result of the shuffle,” my first question would be, what was the purpose of this shuffle in the first place?

As Fred Mitchell, Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) would put it to put together a good team that is able to the task and I guess that would fall in line with my reason to do it at all and that’s to move certain people from positions of weakness to positions of potential strength but as you look at the spitting up of portfolios like them one once held by Minister Alfred Sears; the Ministry of Work and Utilities, now to the Minister of Works and Family Affairs, now headed by the former Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. Clay Sweeting; one is left to wonder exactly what is going on.

Then there is the Hon. Myles LaRoda , formerly the Minister of State in the Prime Minister with responsibilities for National Insurance and ZNS, being stripped of ALL of his engagements; while the likes o Basil McIntosh (WHO?) , is simply shuffled from one position of junior minister to another position of junior minister. This with most people not even knowing if he was still a member of parliament, due=e to his inactivity.

Then we have Keith Bell, whom any reasonable and rational government would have lost on the back bench simp0ly being moved from handing out citizenships, I mean from Immigration to Housing and Urban Development.  I guess he cannot do much mo9re damage here but knowing Keith Bell; he will find a way.

Maybe building shanty towns.

Then there is the Prime Minister of Abaco…..

The PLP fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END

“EXAM: DROP IN STUDENTS RECEIVING A TO C GRADES – Minister say BGCSE results show ‘much work to do at all levels of the system” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; THE number of students who achieved A, B and C grades in BGCSE exams this year dropped compared to 2022, with more students receiving D, E, F and G grades.

Although significantly more students sat the exam as the country moves further from the pandemic, the percentage of grades awarded C or higher this year was lower than in the previous two years, according to statistics the Ministry of Education released yesterday at a press conference.

Overall, 16,326 students took national exams this year.

Five thousand three hundred ninety-three candidates took the BGCSE exams this year, representing 100 government, private and independent centers – an increase of 9.93 per cent compared to last year.

Five hundred forty-four candidates received a grade of C or higher in five or more subjects — 10.09 per cent of all who sat the exam. This represents a 14.06 per cent decrease compared to last year when 633 candidates achieved that goal. Five hundred and fifty candidates did so in 2021.

The number of students who received a minimum grade of D in at least five subjects declined by 5.36 per cent.

The number of students who received at least a C or better in mathematics, language arts and science fell by 2.37 per cent.

Three hundred and three students received at least a C in mathematics, 5.62 per cent of all candidates. In 2022, 392 candidates received the same, 7.99 per cent of all candidates.

The drop in A to C grades and increase in D to G grades is concerning and calls for improvements at all levels of the education system, Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin said.

 “The examination results show, as they have revealed in successive years, that we still have much work to do at all levels of the system,” she said.

 “The concerns demonstrated in these results are the product of the results over the years and are the result of long-standing deficiencies in our educational system, which are now compounded by the impact of learning loss on students in The Bahamas and all over the world as a result of the prolonged shutdowns in the height of COVID 19 pandemic.

 “We have therefore determined that the foundational work is a priority throughout the educational system and must be reinforced at every level of the school experience. We do not wish to be caught in the trap of social promotion. To advance this agenda, it is necessary that all hands are on deck as we move forward in this school year.”

Now it would be very easy to turn this onto a political war/row; especially given the bravado with which Minister Hanna-Martin took the post of Minister of Education and casted nothing but “doom and gloom” on what she met in place but this situation is far too important to begin a senseless political war/row – this is really about the future of The Bahamas and it is my most fervent belief that parents needs to be far more involved with the education of their children than they are at this point but even with that very simple suggestion there are at least two major problems; these problem being that most parents do not understand the work themselves  and then there are those that believe that this is the schools responsibility.

A major paradigm shift is necessary to bring us back in line to where we would see that the education of our children extends beyond the classroom and into the home.

I would like to make the following wild intimation, to have parents look at homework in a different manner.  Homework is more than a tool to reinforce the lessons taught earlier that day to make sure that the student grasps the concept, but also is a time for time for parents and children to bond and for a time for the parent to help build their child’s confidence in the subject and in general; giving them the confidence and knowledge that they can do things on their own and establishing the methodology on how to go about achieving this.

I recall when my son was in early primary, he would get very frustrated when he was unable to apply the principles from the school lesson earlier that day and or simply could not resolve a problem given to him for home work.  It took a lot of breaks and coming back and explanation until by the time he left primary school when could not figure something out he was like, “wait! Don’t tell me”, as he figured it out, as he had built the confidence though the support of his parents.  This underscores the value of the parents in the child’s education.

As for the parents that cannot understand the work themselves, there must be programs for those willing to do and want better to be able to sit with educators to be able to grasp the concept of the work to be done so that they themselves can explain it to their children.  This takes time, dedication and money to the system because educators must be compensated for these extra hours spent, as they put in the time to raise the nation.

As I have mentioned above it will take a major shift paradigm shift in our way of thinking to achieve an upward trend in our education results; especially if we were to keep leaving all of the work up to our educators and taking little to no responsibility onto our very own backs – and we must remember they are our children.

END