Embarrassed by Govt.

March 10, 2005

Dear Sir,

The news carried in in yesterday?s and today?s issues concerning the failure of Trimingham?s is enough to turn the stomach.

First of all you have the Premier saying he knew nothing about it. Then in another article there is a statement that Government has already approved the takeover of Trimingham?s property by HSBC. This is proof that the Premier is lying or a total incompetent.

Then we hear that the Finance Minister is unaware of any problems in retailing. She must have been living in her native Canada for the last ten years to be so ill informed. Further, she advised the House of Assembly that the Bank of Bermuda is a local company and consequently does not need Government approval to purchase local real estate. I believe that I am right in saying that she is a lawyer. I also believe I am right in saying that the most junior member of the Bar who does any real estate transactions knows that the Finance Minister has to approve real estate purchases by local companies. Further it is obvious that the Bank of Bermuda is foreign owned.

It also is an embarrassment when the Tourism Minister does not understand how Bermuda?s image has been wounded. Yes, no doubt in due course, some of the products and lines carried by Trimingham?s will be picked up by others, but to lose a world class retailer is cause for real concern for most luxury products will be a rarity in Bermuda?s future.

When Maxwell Burgess had to give elementary lessons to our Finance Minister, you know that we are in trouble. This Government is incapable of managing our Island.

I hope the media, the Opposition, and all taxpayers and voters will give Government the sort of hell that they deserve for the current mess. Is it any wonder that they are trying to distract the electorate with this independence nonsense?

Ideas for Trimingham?s

March 10, 2005

RAHLEMAH ROBINSON

City of Hamilton

Independence questions

February 27, 2005

Dear Bishop Lambe,

Congratulations on your appointment as leader of the Bermuda Independence Commission.

I see you are off to a good start in approaching the United Nations ? where presumably you will have discovered the costs of membership and the benefits, and the cost to Bermuda of maintaining an ambassador and staff in New York, plus the costs of such items as auditing the accounts of a UN office. In my view the only way around this is to put the office up for tender and see who is willing and wealthy enough to support such an office. Others have done it, or something similar ? the playboy Profiro Rubirosa was one such person representing, I think, Nicaragua. The same could be done for the essential ambassadorships, to the UK and the US ? unless it is find that one person at the UN can fulfil all roles.

Of course your major tasks are two-fold:

I. To investigate the pros and cons of Bermudians expressing themselves through a referendum, or through a general election, or through some other means; and

II. to investigate the pros and cons of being independent.

With regard to the first I think the commission should explore at least four places which have relevance to the question.

a. This so-called ?Commonwealth? is really a colony with less freedom than we enjoy, according to Puerto Ricans I have talked to. They have decided the question of seeking independence from the United States twice by referendum, each time voting against it ? primarily, one gathers, because the US gives the island considerable financial support, important as too many Puerto Ricans are out of work. At the same time Puerto Ricans migrate freely to the United States.

Oddly enough, the map in the New York United Nations building showing colonies does not include Puerto Rico ? probably because of US influence.

An investigation of how the referendum was managed, and how Puerto Ricans feel about it today, would be important for Bermudians to know.

b. this British colony (?overseas territory?) held a referendum on its own future despite opposition from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and decided to remain a colony. Gibraltar?s experience is close to our own (we were once known as ?the Gibraltar of the West?) and how they worked things out is important for us to know about.

c. : Both these areas of Britain gained a degree of independence through referendums organised and sponsored by the British Government. In visiting London the Commission should investigate the background to the referendums, and how they were carried out.

d. : I believe this country became independent through a general election but is now considering a referendum to decide whether the Queen should continue as head of state. Barbados once had a constitution like our pre-1968 constitution. Questions for the Commission to investigate: How do Barbadians feel about how the decision to seek independence was arrived at? Why has the Prime Minister decided to try a referendum this time?

Perhaps in addition you might visit the Falkland Islands, where Britain did the right thing by a colony in saving the people from a foreign overlordship they did not want. You could also visit the British Indian Ocean Territories, where the British moved the Ilois from their homes on the largest island, Diego Garcia, to Mauritius to make way for an American airbase ? which has been useful for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

II. While in Barbados the Commission should also find out how the island has fared since independence. Is the ordinary Barbadian better off ? does he live a better life? In the years since independence has the Barbadian economy grown as much as our economy for the same period? A striking aspect of Bermuda life over the past 15 years has been the increasing number of persons who enjoy travel to the United States and many other parts of the world. Do many Barbadians enjoy travel as we do? What arrangements does Barbados have to help nationals who get into trouble in other countries? Where can Barbadians travel without visas?

These questions ought to be asked in the Bahamas as well ? the country that comes closest to us.

Independence has not been followed by happiness in several West Indian Islands ? I think the Commission should inquire into

Why Grenada suffered so badly after independence; Why Dominica went through a bad, uncivilised period; Why Jamaica suffers from, and is unable to control, rampant criminal activities and gunfire in its urban areas; and why Guyana has developed gang warfare with guns and increased criminal activities ... look into the political causes of this.

These developments cause concern to many Bermudians. The Commission might also look at Belize, which I believe claims to be the most successful Central American country.

There is a general perception that countries which have remained tied to Britain have done better economically, and have happier citizens, than those which obtained independence.

The commission ought to look into this, taking into account the volcano which has been so hurtful to Montserrat, and the hurricane which hit the Cayman Islands. Have they done better than Jamaica and Grenada, both seriously damaged last autumn?

I hope that many other people will write in with suggestions as to what the Commission should investigate. As the Premier said ? we should all be involved.

I?m sure everyone looks forward to your reports