January 19, 2002

Dear Sir,

Do you not agree that this chap Ezekiel really is too much?

There he is pressuring the Finance Minister to continue to legislate that Bermudian chambermaids and salesgirls, and their embattled employers, should pay a higher rate of employment tax than does the thriving and often expat-dominated law, accounting or insurance businesses.

The more that is paid out, goes the effrontery of his pitch, the less should be the portion that is taxed.

Besides, goes the assumption, the chambermaid's contribution to the tax is only a trivial $20 or so a week out of her $350 pay.

Being such an inconsequential amount, hardly even the price of one course at lunch at Port o'Call, we are asked to believe she won't even notice it.

On the other hand, it is totally unreasonable to expect the poor insurance executive to pay an equal share, as this would leave him with only say $10,000 or so to survive on until Friday, and soon have him out of his private jet to suffer in the first class already overcrowded by his employees.

The fat cats are therefore pressurising the Minister to "cap" a $10,000 weekly salary at half, or even less of it, with the objective of leaving the excess $5,000 paid out completely tax free, along with the other prolific tax advantages enjoyed by this fabulously wealthy clique of lawyers, accountants and insurance executives.

If what is going on was ever explained in plain English to most job-threatened Bermudians, there would be a riot.

TAINT FAIR

City of Hamilton