the high cost

[gary]

i have noticed that there is a lot of contention amongst both locals and visitors alike about the high cost of living and certain items in particular.i do not partake in eating patato chips myself but i find that children worldwide devour them with relish.so it would be very hard to explain to a child why a $2 bag of chips suddenly turns into $10 and becomes un affordable.but then again this is the golden age of "pax americana" along with globalization where mega profits can be made without any restrictions or controls by people who are not accountable to any one.my detractors might say that i dont live in the bahamas which is correct.and if one is to "look across the water" then it can be seen that money is no object in some areas.as some one had a spare 143 million to buy a painting and 6 billion a month can be spent "bombing people back into the stone age".it seems that certain sectors have their priorities in the wrong place;so is often the case of "out of sight,out of mind".

[Daneen]

Hi there,


Yes, there are some items that are expensive
on the islands. Gas, and some food items in
particular. But I don't think there's anyone that
sells a bag of chips for $10. As a matter of fact,
the average price for a bag of chips is under a
dollar. Paradise Island convenience stores tend
to be extremely pricey. You have to venture
onto the main island to get a real taste of price.

On the upside, duty-free items like leather,
perfume, cosmetics, cameras, liquor, jewellery
(especially watches) are up to 45% cheaper than
you would find them anywhere in the US.
Our native food also (which is very healthy) you
can find at great prices. An experience at Fish
Fry--Arawak Cay would verify that.

We do have a price control segment in our
government, but due to the fact we don't manufacture
many things here and most items have to be imported,
we do sell quite a number of things at a price higher
than you might find abroad.

[feralproof]

my message about inflated prices may have been taken in the wrong context. it was written as an example of the effect of free trade in the many small countries that rely on imports. but do not have astrong industrial or rural export base to even the balance of trade. this combined with high oil prices plus a few "rouge traders" are a curse to the working class that find it hard to "make ends meet" at the best of times. yours in solidarity. gary.