Not helping party unity

July 12, 2010

Dear Sir,

Until very recently I believed that MP Wayne Perinchief's inability to make it to "top cop" during his tenure in the Bermuda Police Service was due to racism.

Mr. Perinchief appears to be a very intelligent and articulate gentleman and unlike Premier Brown and Ministers Burgess and Burch, he has a "progressive mindset" so no one can blame me for "instinctively and intuitively" thinking that he was held back in his career aspirations because he was a black man. However, after reading his comments in The Royal Gazette on Tuesday, July 6, 2010, I can only conclude that Mr. Perinchief's inability to make it to the top was for some other reason, as he told your newspaper that the comments from Mr. Burgess are a "throwback to the 60s" which to my mind means that during the 70s, 80s, 90s and now in the year 2010, racism in Bermuda is no longer in existence.

In that same article, which of course got front page coverage, Mr. Perinchief asserts that the "PLP risks falling apart" because of comments from the above-mentioned Cabinet Ministers. It is obvious that Mr. Perinchief is one backbencher who has little, if any understanding, of what it takes to keep a political party together. Certainly his constant criticism, either on the floor of Parliament or through your newspaper, of the Party that he is supposed to represent, does little for party unity. However, there are those who love to hear Mr. Perinchief speak, especially those who sit in the Opposition benches and those who support the Opposition along with those other people who sit in front of their computers daily maligning the leaders of this country.

As I see it, it is not people like Ministers Burgess and Burch, or Premier Brown, who need to be weeded out or converted, but people like Mr. Perinchief and the other anonymous backbenchers who find it necessary to constantly run to the "children of the slave masters" so that they can publicly criticise the children of slaves. This, in spite of the fact that Mr. Perinchief and his fellow backbenchers can raise his concerns and criticisms either in Caucus or at a Central Committee meeting. Both entities meet on a regular basis.

I'm beginning to wonder if Mr. Perinchief suffers from both the "Willie Lynch" syndrome as well as "Post traumatic" slave syndrome. Certainly he displays all of the symptoms and may benefit from the intervention of a good doctor.

LAVERNE FURBERT

Hamilton Parish

No vuvuzelas at Cup Match

July 20, 2010

Dear Sir,

I don't know who is organising Cup Match this year, but I hope they have a strong policy to prohibit vuvuzelas, the buzzing horns that were so annoying to listen to at the World Cup. Many people enjoy listening to commentary of the cricket game on radio and the buzzing sound will make that impossible to enjoy.

If they do decide to let them in, be sure to let everyone be warned that they should wear a big hat and a high collared shirt with sleeves, because of the spit that flies out of the other end of the vuvuzela.

Remember in South Africa it was winter and people were bundled up in hats, wooly wigs and big coats. Summer finery will not be so pleasant with the person behind you blowing in (and out) of the vuvuzela.

NOBEEBUZZ

Warwick

Identify motorcycles

July 12, 2010

Dear Sir,

This is in reply to Dai James letter from July 7 about finding and attempting to report a cycle that was likely stolen but had the plates removed. Last time I checked, cycles have at least two serial numbers on them, one for the frame and another for the engine. Both are recorded on your TCD registration. These seem to be verified annually when you have your cycle inspected for license renewal.

I cannot imagine a reason why the Police could not search the ownership based on either of those in the TCD database. Of course if they had gone out and checked and found that the serial numbers had been destroyed or defaced that would be different.

MIKE SZELLER

Pembroke

Yellow Pages too big

July 12, 2010

Dear Sir,

This morning I heaved the new telephone book out of my mailbox. I'm amazed for an Island this small we have such a thick book which requires some strength to lug around. I have a suggestion for your readers – cut the book into three separate parts. All you need is a box cutter, an x-acto knife or a very sharp knife, and a cutting board.

On a safe cutting surface open the book between the White Pages and the first page of the Government section and press open as far as you can then cut down the centre from top to bottom. Repeat the same procedure between the back of the Menu Pages and the first page of the Yellow Pages. You will have three separate books. You can reinforce the edges with duct tape. You could make a pretty cover for all three books.

This way you're not struggling with the whole book in order to find a number in the section you need.

BARBIE SHANKS

Devonshire

Time to cut back

July 21, 2010

Dear Sir,

Can someone explain to me why our Government is acting as if it's just business as usual? Whenever queried about the huge debt that has been amassed, they love to compare us to other countries that are in debt, and say that this is normal. Well those countries have much more diverse economies than Bermuda. They do not rely on one pillar (International Business) as we do. Where we should be following other countries lead, we are not ... they are putting austerity measures in place, cutting back where they can and making plans on how to pay down debt in the future ... are we? I think not.

A perfect example that our Government is still ploughing ahead at full throttle is the 2010 Bermuda Music Festival that was recently announced. It appears that it has been scaled back from previous years but it begs the question, why have one this year at all? It has already been proven time and time again that this Festival fails in its intended purpose ... to draw much needed tourists to Bermuda.

Why does our Government continue to throw good money after bad? Honestly sometimes I feel like I'm Neo caught in the Matrix!

CLINTON J.A. PAYNTER

St. George's

Water ship is needed

July 8, 2010

Dear Sir,

I would like to comment on a letter that is in the Thursday, July 8 edition of your paper.

Thirsty in Warwick states that someone should get the ball rolling with regards to a water ship being sent to Bermuda. I wholeheartedly agree. However, I think that this is something that the Premier should do. Unfortunately for us, he is in South Africa watching football.

DRY MOUTH

Warwick

A vehicle hire plan

July 20, 2010

Dear Sir,

I see that we are about to allow owners of fractional units to rent cars. What a great idea! We will take the one thing that causes most complaints from tourists, traffic, and add to it in order to attract more tourists. This is not easy logic to follow!

May I make an alternative suggestion? In its heyday as a tourist destination, Bermuda was indeed another world. The livery cycles and fringed taxis, the slower pace of life helped make the island unique. Much of that unique appeal has been lost and we will not reclaim it by continuing to imitate suburban USA. Let's allow livery cycle firms to license and rent golf cart-type vehicles, electric or gas powered, to our tourists. This would have the dual effect of not only providing visitors with a comparatively safe means of independent travel, (many of them are already very familiar with the controls of such a vehicle), and also slowing down the traffic which causes them so much concern and which takes the lives of far too many Bermudians. And Bermuda would have something which, as far as I know, no other destination has.

Let's not put any more cars on the road.

JOHN MORBEY

Flatts

Changing the rules

July 10, 2010

Dear Sir,

The PLP Government introduced retroactive legislation that potentially makes criminals out of ordinary Bermudians and long term residents who had purchased property within the laws as they then stood.

The PLP Government then has the opportunity to bring in long overdue legislation retroactively to prosecute or re-prosecute defendants in murder cases which were conducted in a manner that shamed Bermuda. They say they can't because it is against the Constitution. Why is retroactivity OK for this Government when it comes to money matters but not so when it comes to criminal justice?

Such retroactive double jeopardy legislation would be overwhelmingly supported by all right thinking Bermudians and I'm once again very disappointed that our pathetic Government is unable or unwilling to do what the majority would support.

JUSTICE DENIED AGAIN

Pembroke

Golf course safety

July 21, 2010

Dear Sir,

I was disappointed to read that "a decision has been made, in the interests of safety, to close the Horizons golf course prior to occupancy by Bermuda Hospitals Board staff".

One would have thought that, with so many nurses living on site, it would now be the safest golf course in Bermuda.

Yours to the fore,

ANDREW R. DOBLE

Hamilton Parish