Dear Sir,

The following is a quick thought on the economic state of Bermuda and the possible negative impacts that new taxes may have.

I see it as three levels of which a country may be classified as economically: high, middle and low-class economies. Some may add two more — one for an upper middle-class economy and another for a lower middle-class economy. So I’ll use five.

Bermuda is definitely not upper-class. We make good salaries but the cost of living is high, which counters that. It makes those high salaries just enough to afford daily expenses.

Bermuda is also not a low-class economy. I have been to a country many times that can be classified as a low-class economy. In this country, prostitution is a necessity for some mothers to be able to afford to buy Christmas presents for children.

I have researched this country a bit. Unfortunately, approximately 70 per cent of women there have had to sell their bodies as a prostitute at least once in their life.

Prostitution is legal there because it is needed to survive. Also, in this country, it is very difficult to receive a serious medical procedure in a major hospital if you are uninsured.

A person in this circumstance has to pay a large percentage up front.

They also have to bring their own nurse to feed them if they need to stay overnight. Hospitals offer little nursing care for the uninsured.

Also, if there is a medical emergency, someone must come to the hospital in the ambulance with the EMTs and be responsible for the patient.

If not, they are not taken to the hospital unless police are there to take charge of the situation. That’s a bit of stuff I know about and have seen there. Bermuda is too far removed from that to be low class.

This leaves us with the three in the middle-class economies. Bermuda appears to be at lower-middle at best. It is a type of middle-class economy, but at the lower end.

Unfortunately, there are new taxes planned. This could cause the cost of living in Bermuda to go up to high and lower our economic class.

The increase in the cost of necessities could have a negative impact on both tourism and international business.

The population of Bermudians here has already started to fall a little. If the taxes impact having a child, making it too expensive to raise and feed them, we will see a much greater population loss.

Bermuda would be at risk of having a very big rise in crime. This country is a bit relaxed with security. That’s evidence of a low crime rate.

But if more people need to steal to survive, the low security would make it too easy. The relaxation of businesses will be exploited.

The need for higher security will result. This will also increase the cost of living, as companies will increase the cost of goods and services to generate funds needed for security staff and/or equipment.

JUSTIN RAYNOR