No messages, please

December 7, 2007

Dear Sir,

Firstly, I would like to state that I am neither a member of the UBP or the PLP or any other "P".

I do, however, take exception to coming home and finding a voice message consisting of a political advertisement from a local talk show host.

If you want to use political advertising on the radio, that's fine, because I can listen or I can turn the radio off. Even if you want to knock on my door, that's OK too, because I can open it and let you in, or I can completely ignore you.

But please, do not leave political messages on my answering machine because I find it an invasion.

TICKED OFF IN SANDYS

Disgusted by vandalism

December 5, 2007

Dear Sir,

I just finished reading Wednesday's Bermuda Sun and I am disgusted at what I see.

I cannot believe someone has taken the time out to vandalise Jeff Sousa's poster. This will be my first year voting and I am absolutely disgusted at everything that is going on! I feel like I am still in high school ¿ no, middle school! I have seen stop signs where someone has sprayed UBP in blue then PLP in green. Is this what this election has come to? Vandalism in our streets?

As Ewart Brown is our Premier right now, wouldn't it be very noble and mature for him to come out and ask the public to stop this vandalism? But no, if it's not against him then he won't say anything but sit in his little chair at the Cabinet office and giggle about it all.

We need to stand up and grow up! If this is what we will have in power for the next four years then Bermuda is going to the dogs. As for this whole Facebook thing with both parties I just feel that people who can't vote are just making it more harder for the people who can making up rumours and fake identities. Come on! Save it for when you can vote. But for now can we leave it for the mature adults?

And Mr. Editor, may I also say that 98 percent of they people who do vandalise are more than likely not going to vote.

So while Dr. Brown isn't doing anything about the vandalism, he also isn't fixing it for the ones who will vote and are watching to see what he will do about it.

CONCERNED YOUNG VOTER

Pembroke

Not feeling the love

December 5, 2007

Dear Sir,

I read through the report in the November 28 edition of The Royal Gazette concerning Jane Correia's reception by some members of the community.

The most upsetting aspect was that she is also using the race card as the reason why constituents do not wish to hear what she says.

Leaving aside the million dollar un-tendered contract her company has been awarded by the PLP government, I'd ask Ms Correia to look beyond race and consider what her friend and PLP leader, Dr. Ewart Brown, first said about people who disagree with him. Depending upon which poll you read around half of the voting public, black and white, support the UBP. By association, Ewart Brown wants the PLP faithful to pick up their swords and slay us all being lying, vile, vengeful and underhanded people. Feel the Love?

Ewart Brown wants to divide Bermudians, his political strength is in destroying relationships, not building them, and the easiest way, as he found during the 2003 election is for the PLP to lie and to use the race card.

Many of us are tired of the way Dr. Brown acts like we are his servants, and yes, like all politicians he is your best friend at election time, he's got your back covered and will promise the moon, but just try and remember what he and his colleagues have done for themselves and their close associates over the last nine years.

Then ask yourself if you will even be acknowledged by him on December 19 and finally, ask yourself how many of the important 1998 and 2003 Election and subsequent Throne Speech promises have been fulfilled?

Ewart Brown does not feel he must mix with us lesser mortals outside of electioneering, he is better than us all, of course. This election he tries to frightens us with his "do you want to go back" theme, not quite "to the plantation" but close enough for Government business.

I am fortunate in that I have black and white friends in about equal number, some are PLP supporters and some are UBP supporters, but one thing we all agree upon is that we would love to go back, just 15 or 20 years or so, when everybody was already liberated, when there was more respect for each other and when Bermuda was a much friendlier, caring and safer place.

Feel the Love? Not anymore.

1 OF 17

Pembroke

Get education right

December 6, 2007

Dear Sir,

There is much in Willie DeSilva's comments on the 2007 Work Force Equity to applaud. Many of the ideas he expressed were in a previous letter that I had written to you. However, I cannot shake the feeling that the outgoing BEC chief and many of his ilk are not too concerned about the state of employment of non-white Bermudians. I may be very wrong, but that feeling just won't go away.

Now having said that, I must reiterate I agree with his contention that all the stakeholders must be held accountable and responsible to ensure that the public education is Bermuda is a success. I also agree that pouring money into the system without an objective plan from all stakeholders is akin to burning your cash to heat your home.

The Ministry of Education and the employers must get together to determine which courses must be taught at the preparatory levels to ensure that the University grads are trained in the appropriate disciplines to ensure that they will be employable in the Bermuda corporate structure. I also agree with Willie DeSilva that you cannot expect an Arts BA grad to assume an assignment of an actuary.

The ideal thing for Minister Perinchief or his successor in the new Parliament to do is to engage all Bermudans, regardless of their political stripes to support the 2007 Workforce Equity Bill to ensure its success.

However, first all stakeholders, parents teachers, students, the BUT, the BEC and the Ministry of Education must pledge to put in place the feeder systems that will enable the public schools to prepare the Bermuda students to undertake the courses of study that will make them employable in senior management positions in all industries currently operating on the Island.

WINSTON ISAAC

Richmond Hill, Ontario

Bring back the old way

December 6, 2007

Dear Sir,

The imminent Election has captivated the minds of the discerning, to the point where it is now, in my opinion becoming "a-bit-old" with the 'mud-slinging' on behalf of both parties.

Allow me to take a slightly different twist to Bermuda today and how it used to be. I venture to enlighten some and confirm the views of others, as to the 'backbone' of Bermuda's economy, to distribute evenly the revenue generated from our (which is now the second pillar of the Economy) Tourism Industry.

As I'm a Qualified Tour Guide, an accreditation I acquired through the Dept. of Tourism's annual Blue Flag Qualification, of which I was the Highest Scorer in 1997, I am privy to information that the average resident may not be familiar with, regarding Bermuda's history in particular.

Dating back to 1920, Furness-Withy was the first cruise line to service the Island, of which I believe Cambridge Beaches (formally of the name Cambridge and The Beaches ¿ two separate properties), as the beginning of Bermuda's Tourism Product, along with The Princess, named after Princess Louise, (dated back to 1883).

Wealthy Americans sought refuge / retreat from the harsh North American winter, on referral from friends, here in Bermuda, of the sub-tropical climate, serenity, tranquility, natural beauty, friendliness, sincerity and in general the un-paralled hospitality offered to all. Tucker's Town was also an attraction to the same socio-economic/demographic group.

With the introduction of Darrell's Island as the first Sea Port here with Imperial Airways' first commercial flight (boat/sea plane) in 1937, now known as British Airways, made its inaugural flight June 16 of that year, to Port Washington, USA. Subsequent years saw the development of the Bermudiana Hotel, the Belmont, Elbow Beach and others.

Why am I raising these pertinent points in Bermuda's history? My point being, that 'back-in-the-day', the majority of residents and Bermudians enjoyed the fruits of their labour as the wealth was evenly distributed amongst the majority. There is an old adage ¿ 'if it isn't broken, don't fix it'.

It was a result of the masterly engineered switch of Bermuda's economy, from Tourism to International Business dating back to the mid- to late-1960s that has now put us in our current dilemma, in my opinion. This industry has now become our 'bread & butter', which generates lots of revenue for Government, employs lots of Bermudians, and 'Guest Workers'. However, one major flaw with Insurance / Re-Insurance and International Business is that the 'trickle-down-effect' does not affect the majority. Another consequence of this industry is the escalating 'Cost-of-Living' for the average person, to a point where many are now considering overseas properties as the only option of acquiring 'a-home-of-their-own'.

With the billions of dollars now circulating/passing throughout, it has driven the cost of every thing, property in particular, through the roof (pardon the pun). I vividly recall my grandfather stating: "If you can't make it at home, you can't make it anywhere else."

The current economic climate lends itself to an evident deviation from "words from the wise". Could it be a result of the Western philosophy of a capitalistic society we've adopted, where material wealth has now over-shadowed the moral fabric and principles we once knew? I would sometimes pose the question "have you ever seen an armoured vehicle following a hearse"? To what end does it account for but to continue the stresses and hardships for the majority? Admittingly, there are positives (so-to-speak), of our 'current world economy', that affords us many 'luxuries/wants', not necessarily needs.

Why not re-visit our past in so much as revitalising the Tourism Industry, obviously one which I have a passion. It instills pride, a sense of worth, employs a far greater number of Bermudians of which 'service' has become 'second-nature'. The charm, charisma, un-pretentious nature and natural hospitality exhibited by most, is what won the hearts of many a visitor, that vowed to return, giving Bermuda perhaps the highest return visitor rate of some 47 percent back in the late 70's through mid 80's.

I acknowledge that to do 'a-complete-'bout-face', is out of the question, but why not consider embracing the thought of re-establishing the 'days-of-old', and enhance the tourism product to include everyone!

Let's join in and bring back Bermuda to her 'Glory-Days'. Every individual effort culminates with a national objective, a sense of pride, a sense of worth, the feeling of My Bermuda!!

GLENN CHASE

Sandys

Misleading statistic?

December 6, 2007

Dear Sir,

I refer to the story in the December 6 Royal Gazette on the subject of degrees earned by Bermudians. Either you printed the wrong numbers or something doesnt add up but if anyone thinks there are just under 1,100 Bachelors degrees amongst all white Bermudians ¿ well, I have a bridge I want to sell to you. If that's the number then I know them all! I guarantee you that there many times that number of college degrees among white ¿ and black ¿ Bermudians. You must have stated things out of context or the statistics are dead wrong.

JOHN FAIELLA

Southampton

Editor's Note: The statistics were provided by the Department of Communication and Information with the stated intention of supporting the proposed Workforce Equity Act and were said to show holders of Bachelors of Arts degrees drawn from the 2000 Census.

However, the publicly available Census data does not provide a breakdown of degrees held by white and black Bermudians. It does state that of those Bermudians whose highest level of schooling was university, 3,111 were white and 4,449 were black.

I'm coming back

December 5, 2007

Dear Sir,

I am off the Island for Christmas, but I am already looking forward to my return. Whoever gets elected, I shall be coming back to a better Bermuda.

There will be at least 500 new affordable homes, new police stations in Hamilton and St. George's, luxury hotels on Morgan's Point and at the old Club Med property, reduced crime, a strengthened Auditor General, lower taxes, no hanging, and community centres and health centres will dot the landscape.

And to cap it all, Invesco will be bringing in $550 billion which, by my calculation, will make me personally about ten million dollars better off.

Yours decking the halls,

ANDREW R. DOBLE

Hamilton Parish

Vote on policy, not colour

December 5, 2007

Dear Sir,

A thought for Alex Scott and the Voting Public.

Mr. Scott, you cannot ask the public to vote for what you might be able to do. You can only ask the public to vote for what you are representing you will do (ie the electoral platform carried out by the proposed candidates). If you have so little confidence in your leader, why is he before the public representing the PLP's morals, values and party objectives? If the PLP wins, how am I to have confidence that Dr. Brown will be replaced as it appears is suggested? Doesn't a win make Dr. Brown's position stronger and therefore make it more difficult to remove him?

An election is a time to vote for sound policies set out in party platforms (such as economic, education, housing and environmental policies). It is not a time to vote for individuals whose colour of skin you like or have in the hopes that the elected may take care of those of us with that same colour of skin. I sincerely hope that at this election, entrenched UBP and PLP voters carefully examine the policies proposed by the parties and the people involved to execute them. A vote will then be a vote for policy, good governance and accountability rather than looking at our skin colour and the behaviour of past generations.

SARAH HAYCOCK

Pembroke

A smiling face

December 5, 2007

Dear Sir,

It is refreshing to see a candidate work hard for constituency 32, Southampton West. I have seen him all over our area, weekdays and weekends, night and day. His tireless canvassing of the whole of Southampton West is tremendous, knocking on doors in every neighbourhood. Just the other day, he was at the Rockaway Ferry, meeting and chatting with the ferry passengers.

It's also nice to see a candidate with a smile on his face. Someone who believes in what he is doing, good old fashion hard work.

Go Charlie Swan.

SOUTHAMPTON RESIDENT