Having made so much of the proposition that they would be “investing” heavily in the well-being of the Bahamian people, the new Christie administration must – in order to retain its credibility – invest heavily in the Bahamian people.

There must arise from somewhere in the policy mix proposals that call on Bahamians to do more for themselves; for proposals and policies that end with making the public sector far more efficient; and for policies and proposals aimed at both inviting and enticing more young Bahamians to be up and doing in taking possession of land and opportunity in the Family Islands.

The time is past urgent for the Bahamian people to be given an opportunity to think large in an effort to generate the kinds of truly great projects that could excite and animate the intelligence of this nation in its entirety.

Were we to move in this direction, things would go from strength to strength for the tens of thousands of Bahamians who yearn for the opportunity of being seen as men and women worthy of the label: ‘nation-builder’.

It is our considered opinion that the current economic crisis today provides the Bahamian people a most unique set of choices.

We can either choose to wallow in ideas concerning how bad things are, how little money we have and how we did not anticipate things being as bad as they really are; or we can be up and doing with creating our own uniquely Bahamian way of bending history to our will.

Clearly, this new administration can succeed only if and when it decides to invite policy-relevant contributions from each and every Bahamian who wants to come on over and help.

Anything less will spell – in the current circumstances – disaster on the move.

This great little nation of ours is caught up in the coils of an economy that is not expanding; with an economic situation on the ground where thousands of people are unemployed; where thousands are working two or more low-paying jobs – and where the government itself is on the verge of becoming maxed out on debt.

In addition, the new administration must now take full possession of this nation’s high and rising crime rate – this because of the manner in which this problem was packaged, delivered and received by them while they found themselves on the hunt for votes.

While on the hunt for votes, the Progressive Liberal Party sought to convey the impression that there was a fix to the current mortgage crisis.

Precisely because there is no free lunch for anyone, we counsel and caution that there is always a price to be paid for policies and programs that amount to little more than patching this or gluing that in order to stem this or that leak.

Put simply – no matter the promise made in the heat of a political struggle, any administration that would wish to adequately acquit itself should be minded to – as it were – make haste slowly.

In addition, there is every indication that things at the world level will remain in their currently parlous condition; thus the conclusion that these hard times will continue.

Indeed, as we look around the world we find example piled upon example where money markets and their attendant credit rating agencies have turned thumbs down on this or that nation in debt.

We now run the very real risk of going to market in search of money only to find that the costs associated with such leaving them effectively out of reach.

This we must avoid at all costs; thus the advice we now proffer to those who would now run things: Gentlemen and Ladies, tread carefully.

By way of support to this advice we need only reference the latest International Labor Organization which concludes on this somber note: “…the global employment situation is “alarming” and unlikely to improve soon…It is unlikely that the world economy will grow at a sufficient pace over the next couple of years to both close the existing jobs deficit and provide employment for the more than 80 million people expected to enter the labor market during this period…”

Given that the period in question coincides with the life-span of the Christie regime’s political mandate; the question that begs for an answer concerns how this newest of Bahamian prime ministers will match promises made with project implemented.

The extent to which he and his team succeeds will – in the ultimate analysis – depend on the extent to which they actively listen to and respond to voices other than their own as they sit around The Table.