As we look in on some of the debate between Democrats and Republicans in the United States, we are constrained to point out the obvious; similar debates are also taking place in our country and around the world.

The core of the problem being addressed relates to competing philosophies of both government, economics and about how the tax burden is to be shared. Quite unlike similar debates in times past, no one with an iota of good sense today dares utter any mantra concerning the so-called magic of the market-place. Instead, those who now suggest a crucially important role for the State are being welcomed; this much to the delight of President Obama and his supporters.

Mitt Romney seems to be swimming against what seems this new tide. In time, we will all know the rest of this game-changing story. Lessons learned in this regard in the United States bring with them lessons to be learned in a Bahamas whose economy is tethered to that of the United States of America.

It is this enduring relationship that will continue to help steer the Bahamian economy in and on its current tack – for better or worse. When it is all said and done – no change that purports to be for the better can be seen as such unless and until genuine tax reform is embraced by any and all who would do right by way of all of our people.

As in times past, so too in this dread time: Some among us will survive the current economic upheaval even as others are made to pay dearly. For them, all we can seriously hope is that – when a new order of things does arrive – government’s current mortgage palliative and Urban Renewal 2.0 could then be seen as having provided some of this land’s sufferers some modicum of succor.

But be that as it may, The Bahamas has reached that point where its tax system must be overhauled; where its immigration challenges must be faced – and where the Bahamian people must be taught that there is really no free lunch for anyone.

This is imperative in a situation where we find both misery and distress now on the hoof and where more and more of our people are finding it impossible to cope with the vicissitudes of life.

As some of our people suffer, very many of them – especially some of our nation’s women – find themselves turning to this or that pastor for some help.

Regrettably, some of these people are being told that they should pray harder, pray longer and dig deeper to make a love-offering to that pastor or to that Church-related enterprise.

At the same time, some of these people are mothers to children who –on occasion – are obliged to go to school hungry; some others do not ever get to see the open door of any classroom. And there is that untold number of College of The Bahamas students who are obliged to put in up to forty hours of work as so-called ‘temps’ in this or that business establishment. In addition, reports reaching us tell of situations where mothers routinely turn a blind eye to some of the petty thievery done by both their sons and daughters as they do what they can to help supplement household income.

In the meantime, there are all those other Bahamians who are in a position to hire a handful of people; and who have clearly decided that this is the best time for them to extract even more from their employees.

Sadly, some of these bosses are as blasé as they could be, even as they reach that truly tragic point where they know in their heart of hearts they are doing their workers an injustice. By the same token, some of these workers now find themselves mired in debt; some of them out of work and very many of them facing foreclosures on their mortgaged properties.

For some others, high and rising rates of stress continue to undermine their health, that of their children and by extension, that of their communities. The people need help now! But clearly, the help they need should not necessarily end with them holding onto properties they cannot afford.

Indeed, there is also a scenario which calls on these people to scale down their dreams; parlay current skills into new ventures; and work with selected partners who are also searching for a more productive niche. As always, many hands will always make a burden light. The same principle applies to tax reform; where and when this burden is equitably shared, there are few complaints concerning Caesar’s demands.