9 October, 2014

Dear Sir,

The trouble with political actors is that they sometimes go over the top, and make themselves look silly. Zane DeSilva’s done that on a number of occasions with his doomsday traffic announcements.

The latest to do it is the Shadow Finance Minister David Burt, with his performance on television and his letter to the editor accusing the Government of “lack of depth” in its ideas for reviving Bermuda’s economy.

Lack of depth? What did it take to get us into this position? David Burt and his colleagues spent 14 years turning the golden goose into an ugly duckling. Thousands of Bermudians are suffering as a result of their spending spree. Lack of depth has to be the mildest possible description of that kind of crazy behaviour, facilitated most recently by a former Finance Minister who was too scared to say ‘no’ to the former Premier.

Against this backdrop, the One Bermuda Alliance seems to be moving us forward — more international businesses and, at long last, unmistakable signs of activity in the hotel sector. And gratifyingly, the party seems to have the will to get to grips with our swollen spending habits.

Mr Burt’s plan for reviving the economy, as given in his reply to the Throne Speech some months ago, relies heavily on online gambling and legalising marijuana.

Bermuda’s reputation for respecting the rule of law and for straight dealing has, as much as anything else, been responsible for our success in tourism and international business, the pillars of our economy.

Online gambling is, at the moment, not legal in the US, which is our major trading partner. US authorities now go to some lengths to prosecute, not so much the gamblers as sites that facilitate gambling. It is illegal for banks and other financial institutions to process online gambling transactions. Most American credit card companies will not allow transactions they recognise are involved with online gambling. How would the US feel about our going into that line of business?

Mr Burt’s idea that online gambling would create 650 new jobs in Bermuda seems just guesswork, and his implied suggestion that online gambling would be financed and run without the need for specialists, completely by Bermudians, also seems right off the wall.

On the subject of marijuana sales, he told the House of Assembly: “A regulated industry would remove this activity from the shadows; reduce associated law enforcement expenses; contain adequate safeguards for children and restrictions on public use; generate revenue for the country; and would have the additional benefit of having more persons contribute to social insurance, healthcare, payroll tax and pensions.”

Assuming we could attract marijuana consumers to Bermuda to smoke, what would that kind of business do to our traditional business? Could the two coexist? What would be the impact on our tourism infrastructure? What would our traditional visitors think of it?

What would be the impact on our image among those who participate or might in the future participate in our international business sector?

What would be the impact on our children and on the broader community of Bermuda?

So far, Mr Burt has been silent on those questions.

Mr Editor, you have to ask yourself how much David Burt could have thought about his ideas, because his suggestions threaten to make our problems worse, not solve them. That’s lack of depth for you.

Joe

St George’s