I am in total amazement as to how serious Bahamians have become as it relates to being dishonest and unpatriotic. We think nothing about getting something without paying for it and are shameless in taking from the state. We would easily substitute things Bahamian for any other culture. We unfortunately are ashamed of the Bahamas. The straw vendors could care less about preserving a Bahamian art form only what they could put in their pockets.
The Minister of works told the people gathered at the roof vetting of the brand new straw market, that they cannot sell no more knock off items or anything else that is not indigenous Bahamian. Now who could disagree with that? Who has the guts to honestly say that Minister Grant or the government is unreasonable? If anyone does, then their greed will only destroy them. Money drives them and “principles don’t put money on their table” either.
But low and behold, a lady who must have been just awoken from a deep sleep responded that she would sell whatever she could bring through customs and that they weren’t prepared to pay anything for the space in the market.
These statements are a clear indication that Bahamians have lost their soul. Some Straw-vendors, not all, must be the most presumptuous people in the whole world. First they want to dictate to the government what should happen. Then they want to prostitute our culture on the altar of greed.
These unusual people now expect the government to spend almost $20 Million dollars of all of our money and don’t charge them a cent. Only parasites behave like that. If the government succumbs to that asininity, then everyone who is in business should not pay any rent to their landlords forever too.
These same ungrateful people conduct hundreds of dollars asue every day. Honest strawvendors brag about how much money they make, what fancy homes they have and the expensive education they give their children. Why would they lie that they cannot afford to pay the rent?
I trust the government is serious and will not allow a few dishonest people to distract them from being accountable for how they spend the people’s money. I hope and pray that the children, especially girls of the vendors do not expect to go through life expecting to get something for nothing. This would be a most unfortunate way to train innocent children.
Finally, any strawvendor who will intentionally destroy the idea of keeping our Bahamian Culture alive and will also deprive the treasury for collecting the much needed revenue, must be classified as unpatriotic. Bahamians who care about the Bahamas should do what is necessary to make sure that this straw market is not disgraced like the present one has been.
I hope the government will enforce very serious disciplinary action to anyone who violates the agreement that they are given. We have been slack enough for long enough. The nasty atmosphere that exists now must not be allowed to happen, ever again.
The government must move decisively in who is allowed to be a vendor. They must be aware of the Bahamian vendors who apply, only to rent it to foreigners. Some vendor will apply for more than one booth. These kinds of practices must stop so more Bahamians can participate in this lucrative business. We must not allow this hoggish practice to persist anymore.
I expect for the PLP to piggyback on this, because like vultures they would try to benefit from anything they can to gain political mileage. I would not be surprise if the PLP spokesperson does not issue a statement agreeing with the vendors to not pay for the space and also to discourage them from selling things other than straw works of Bahamian souvenirs and carvings.
The real joke is plenty of them always have their Bibles open when you visit their booths. If they want a FLEA-MARKET, let them go somewhere else, but not in our straw-market.
Ivoine W. Ingraham
