Connect the dots

July 13, 2008

Dear Sir,

Strange how the followers of the Premier of Bermuda are convinced that everything the man touches turns to gold, when some actions are blatantly unjust. The redundancies imposed on almost 30 Bermudians within the Department of Tourism is an example of terrible contempt that makes a mockery of a Party built on fairness for labour. As a result, the public have been left disillusioned wondering what went wrong.

Terribly wrong! Much worse, the Premier gets away with it despite displacing families, creating hardship and causing dedicated people to seek employment when many are probably having difficulty making ends meet. Dr. Brown once said 'we had to deceive you' and then said later 'What I meant was we had to do what we had to do at the time and we couldn't divulge all of the plans at the time which to me made political sense and was the appropriate thing to do' has done it again.

No wonder he has been labelled as an 'American-style Razzamatazz' with some even going so far as to say 'they don't regard him as truly Bermudian'. All of this when tourism is in a tail spin with no sign of recovery for a long, long time! Incidentally ten years ago, we were led to believe tourism would once again be bursting at the seams. Instead we have seen closures of hotels with promised new properties not yet breaking ground!

What has happened to the Minister for Works and Engineering who once headed up the Bermuda Industrial Union that fought for the rights and equality of labour? Where are the Government ministers that by now should have seen the writing on the wall? Will they be like those generals who said 'we were only following orders' after they had inflicted pain on millions of innocent people? How many more displacement of people within their party do they witness before they speak up? When will party supporters question his judgment, his unsound temperament and rhetoric that has divided an island?

Wake up supporters and connect the dots. Bermuda cannot afford the lifestyle of this Premier. What Bermuda needs right now is a new leader or accept those terrible chilling words, it's too late!

TOPPY AND SAUNDRA COWEN

Kelowna

British Columbia

Cable concerns

July 14, 2008

Dear Sir,

Although it's obvious cable will be out during major storms like this one I have to wonder why is it cable takes a long time to return even after electricity returns? Right now I don't have a time showing up on the box and advanced services are out. Shouldn't both come back on at the same time or is there a satellite dish Cablevision forgot to tell customers about?

CURIOUS

Pembroke

You could have saved school

July 13, 2008

Dear Sir,

One hundred and twenty five years old. That's how old Whitney is. This school should have long ago been repaired. The school has been around way too long and probably explains all those different problems that the trustees obviously can't deal with. Now you've hurt the students by not admitting that 25 years ago you could've saved the situation had you recognised that leaving it to continue with the structure it had would lead to bigger problems down the road.

Now 20 students are soon to enter private school with another 180 trying to figure out where to go next. Send the students to Clearwater? Send them to T.N. Tatem? Sandys Middle School? You've in fact doomed those students. Green will no longer be a school colour for seniors unless another school, T.N. Tatem or some other middle school, adopts it.

IF ONLY U THOUGHT ABOUT

REBUILDING 25 YEARS AGO

Pembroke

Tribute to Rebecca

July 15, 2008

Dear Sir,

I was running along the trails and roads of Ferry Reach Park, there I looked at the cedar tree that now grows where Rebecca Middleton lost her life.

I am reminded of how our justice system let down her family who tried to get justice for her death, yet this tree grows as a reminder of the injustice we can never let happen again.

But I also see a tree that grows for who she was, I see a tree that grows with a lifetime of memories of those that loved her and know her. I see a tree wishing I had met the person her parents raised, cared for, and love so much and had to say good bye so tragically. So I say to her parents for every memory filled with laughter, hugs, conversations and everything you have poured into her are like a tree that grow 'n' live on 'n' on.

HOWARD WILLIAMS

Hamilton

The wool over eye ploy

July 13, 2008

Dear Sir,

In quoting from The Royal Gazette (7/14/08) ref the House passing a bill pertaining to free bus and ferry fares for (local) students only … I had to sarcastically chuckle; after reading the last paragraph. I quote Mr. Walter Roban's statement: "The Government is about Bermuda; Bermudians coming first. Mr. and Mrs. Bermuda and their children should come first."

Mr. Roban would like for us all to believe that to be true, yet, evidence is contradicting his "wool over our eye ploy". Simply, if this Government were being truly concerned about the Mr. and Mrs. Bermuda then there would not be so many homeless and jobless fellow Bermudians among us today. How is it a person from elsewhere can be granted a job serving food at not only fast food restaurants but throughout the Island in numerous positions that should be taken by fellow Bermudians? One does not need a degree to spoon food into a dish…(the list goes on.)

RAYMOND RAY

Tuckers Town

Ps: Remember this fact: "each foreign worker also occupies a residence."