The right party for the job

November 14, 2007

Dear Sir,

The time has come for us to truly unite as one Bermuda and prepare to move forward.

I know that many feel as I do and that is, that the PLP is the Government to truly take the country to a higher level. A level that's an example to the world, where it can be clearly seen that the people of this Island are happy to be here, willing to work together and capable of overcoming anything that may come our way.

We are not there yet however. Premier Dr. Ewart Brown and his team can lead us there if we allow them to.

We must stand up on December 18 and let it be known that we stand by our Government. There are some who will have people believe that there is no support for the PLP Government within or outside of the party but I, like many of you, know better then that. Now it's up to us to show better then that. The PLP is not a perfect Government and you should not expect them to be.

They are, however, a Government for the people that will fight for the people and will let no one destroy the people. The PLP have worked hard for us and although they have not fixed everything, everything has been touched and they have put more then a dent in it.

Don't to be fooled! Take a good look at the PLP's works and determine for yourself if they deserve to be allowed to continue to carry the torch that is Bermuda I promise they will not let it burn out.

The PLP Solid As The Rock!

MAKAI DICKERSON

Sandys

Don't cover-up the issues

November 15, 2007

Dear Sir,

Can someone please explain the Government's desire to mislead the public on every important issue facing this island?

Education: It is clear that there are problems within the education system. Instead of addressing these problems head on, recent graduation rates have clearly been influenced, with the Minister of Education then denying this fact.

Tourism: We were led to believe that tourist arrivals were on the way up. Turns out that these figures included business travellers, and the Minister of Tourism was well aware of this distinction. Clearly individuals flying here for business meetings should not be lumped into the same category as individuals coming to the island for leisure.

Crime: Every other month statistics are thrown around making us believe the Island is getting a handle on the problem. However, every day more burglaries, robberies and other crimes are committed.

Health care: Instead of releasing the findings of the Johns Hopkins report the Government refuses to give the public the truth and was in the process of putting a positive spin to benefit their plans. To add insult to injury they dropped Johns Hopkins in favour of little-known Kurron Shares.

Why can't the Government stand up, admit there is a problem if there is one, and then develop strategies to address it?

If they spent as much time resolving the issues as they do trying to cover them, the island would be a much better place.

KENT SMITH

St. George's

Is it a 'Brown' thing?

November 17, 2007

Dear Sir,

"COMMENT" published in the Britain's Daily Mail dated Saturday November 17. 2007, brought to mind a similarity to what is proposed in Bermuda. I quote:

"Hugely expensive ¿ and going nowhere

"British jobs for British workers ... from the moment he uttered those words at Labour's conference, Gordon Brown has been under fire from critics, who point out that he would find himself in trouble with anti-discrimination laws if he tried to put such a policy into action. But he is certainly right about one thing: there is a serious problem when millions in this country don't work and are often so unskilled that they can't compete with highly educated, keenly motivated immigrants from Poland and elsewhere.

"Sadly, the latest Government initiative offers little prospect of improvement. With a great fanfare, Ministers promise a brave new world of opportunity for all, with more apprenticeships and more places on courses for adults who struggle with basic English and maths.

"Altogether, the programme will offer more than 7 million training places. The cost will be £500 millions, on top of the existing budget of £3.8 billion.

"According to Skills Secretary John Denham, the scheme means companies will no longer have to hire skilled immigrants in place of poorly qualified Britons. The heart sinks at his misguided optimism. For a start, what's to stop many of those training places being taken by immigrants seeking to improve their prospects at taxpayers' expense? Could Mr Denham do a thing about it?

"No, the truth is that the Government is resorting to another bureaucratic, statist "solution" by throwing taxpayers' hard earned money at the problem instead of addressing the underlying causes. Consider the parlous state of our education system.

"Four in every ten children leave primary school without reaching the required level in the three Rs. Only 50 percent of 16-year-olds achieve the basic GCSE standard of five decent passes, including English and maths.

"No wonder so many school leavers struggle to find work. And to make matters worse, the welfare system offers them no incentive to search for a job."

We do not learn from our own and other Government's mistakes and it is the same old, same old. Guess it must be a BROWN thing!

ANTONY SIESE

City of Hamilton

Equine equality

November 16, 2007

Dear Sir,

As a horse lover and someone who has, recently, taken the brunt of some fairly glaring remarks regarding equine fanatics, I would like to reach out to you non-horsy folks and to the people who just haven't found their inner horsy folk.

Carriage rides: Gone are the days when people would take a leisurely drive, socialising with friends and family while listening to the relaxing rhythm of the horses' hooves. Sunday drivers. Why is it so offensive to take it easy?

In our fast paced, exhausting lives, why do we get so angry at those who have slowed down to smell the roses? No reveres or respects these beautiful labourers. They honk and beep and shout and speed by angrily on their loud bikes and then act surprised when a natural flight creature becomes upset.

Relax folks. They eat grass. They are not predators and do not have the desire to chase you down the road or, for that matter nor do they or their drivers sit in front of you in traffic just to ruin your day. We are all just enjoying the ride.

Pony carts: Please be careful around these guys. Every year they are out from about August until February jogging their ponies to get them in shape for the racing season. In some cases these guys are actually doing the speed limit. Please don't beep, scream, yell or whistle. Wave to the drivers; they love you. These are cherished animals and as such the owners want to keep them and you safe.

So when you are out and see a buggy meandering down the road, don't get angry because you are in such a hurry; take a moment, breath, and think about what it would be like to take a ride yourself. Slow down, experience life and respect the beautiful things around you.

HORSE LOVER

Warwick

Fight Belco's plans

November 16, 2007

Dear Sir,

So now Belco wants to expand on their present site, which means at least one more chimney stack, causing more black soot spewing all over the neighbourhood, landing on everyone's roof, going into our tanks, and covering any outside furniture, which already has to be wiped down on a daily basis. As for closing Cemetery Road, that should definitely not be allowed.

It was inconvenient the last time they closed it for a year, and it will be inconvenient again apart from creating more congestion on St. John's Road and Woodlands Road. One should not have to go all the way around the block to get from point A to point B. I hope everyone objects to this plan.

On another note, ZBM TV Channel 9 is the longest running station on the island, yet they still can't control their audio system. It's either so low you can't hear what's being said, or it comes crashing through, loud enough to shatter ones eardrums. They also seem to get their figures wrong on the BF&M stock report!

SEEING IT AS IT IS

Pembroke