Show us some compassion!

Dear Editor:

We would greatly appreciate the printing of this letter in your daily.

As the whole Bahamas must know by now, Grand Bahama has experienced some of the worst economic setbacks ever seen over the past five to seven years.

Three hurricanes, the closure of the Royal Oasis Resort and Casino, rising food, fuel and utility costs are just a few of the many challenges that this island has borne.

For many of us the dream of managing our own businesses has been confronted by these aforementioned trials. The doors of many business places have closed leaving both employers and employees without income sources, threatening their ability and desire to meet professional and personal financial obligations.

For many of us tenants of the Port Lucaya Marketplace, the effects of these unfortunate bad times may be felt doubly because our initial businesses were in the International Bazaar, which has been decimated by the closure of the hotel. The reason we say 'may be' is because the management company for Port Lucaya, Bourbon Street Limited, is threatening its tenants with eviction for failure to pay rent.

While we do believe that it is our individual responsibility to meet our contracted commitments, we also believe that our recognized challenges should be assisted by those who can more readily defend against such economic struggles and have benefited from our past efforts and successes.

Imagine being either locked out or evicted from your only source of legitimate income and still being faced with all the bills that will remain coming, including rent from Bourbon Street, until paid. Imagine not being able to afford to go to the already high-priced food store to get something to put on the table for the evening meal, out of what you just made that day. Imagine having to send your employees home and not knowing how you will give them the legally required severance package. Meanwhile, the bills are still coming.

How will we pay our utility bills for the store, for our homes? All going to the Port Authority. How will our employees do the same?

Through the means of this public forum, we humbly ask that the Port Authority and Bourbon Street Limited Companies reconsider their form of action and sit with us, their tenants, with a view to helping us now so that we can help them in future as we have in the past.

Show us some compassion!

Yours sincerely,

Hopeful But Hurting Tenants of Bourbon Street Limited and the Port Lucaya Marketplace

© 2008 The Freeport News