Hurting Bermuda business

September 2, 2008

Dear Sir

I recently enjoyed a cruise on the western Caribbean on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. Every time the ship came to a port the gambling halted on board. I know the tourism board has allowed the cruise ships to gambled while in Bermuda. I don't see how this will help Bermuda's economy. From what I have seen the passengers were spending large amounts of money on board the ship through their cashless system; they pay at the end of their cruise. Is the Tourism Board going to collect some kind of revenue from the gambling while in port? I don't think so.

My personal opinion this is a bad option. How is it that there is legislation saying no gambling allowed in the bars but we now allow cruise ships to come into our ports and do it? It looks like a double standard. They gave the Niobe Corinthian a hard time, even a raid on the ship. Even after 10 p.m. this steals money from local bars, taxi drivers, and restaurants.

HOWARD WILLIAMS

St. George's

Imagine our disgust

August 25, 2008

Dear Sir,

This weekend some friends and I decided to take advantage of one of our sunny and beautiful days and go to the beach, as summer will be over before we know it. We chose the public portion of Elbow Beach because it is usually less crowded and closer to home for us. Imagine our disgust when we arrived to find a deep layer of seaweed that spanned from the water about 15 feet up the beach. Most of the people using the beach had laid their towels at the very back near the stairs, and there was hardly a person in the water. The only reward for wading through the seaweed on land would have been to become entangled in a network of seaweed in the water. I simply can't understand how the beach is allowed to reach this state of neglect.

I have been on this Island seven years and never seen the beaches look so mangy. Some of my accompanying friends were Bermudian and they had never seen such a thing in their lives, perhaps only in winter. Is there a reason for the deplorable state of Elbow Beach? If a tourist comes here and isn't fortunate enough to be staying at a hotel with its own private beach, this is what they would see. They wouldn't come back certainly. Certainly the guys on the hustle truck could rake up the beach so that tourists and residents alike could enjoy Elbow Beach, and the other public beaches, for the rest of the summer.

IFE OLUWA

Pembroke

Give suggestions

August 29, 2008

Dear Sir,

I read in the Bermuda Sun today that the officials of St. George, Ye Olde Towne is yet again complaining! They said that Government was doing nothing with Club Med and they (the St. Georgians) wanted a hotel in the east-end to revive the dead place. What do they want? According to Mr. Bascome "The infrastructure in St. George was never designed for heavy vehicles constantly running up and down our roads" rather than complaining about the removal of rubble, give a suggestion what is to be done with it!

Shall we dump it at St. Catherine's Beach? I also think that the tourist coming here to Bermuda are wise enough to board a plane or ship, will be careful if they see truck on a street! Give them some credit for intelligence. I am so sure the next complaint from Ye Olde Towne will be the roads cannot support all the cranes rolling through the town, to build their new hotel.

GIVE US ALL A BREAK

I'll always speak my mind

August 26, 2008

Dear Sir,

I do not wish to take up too much space in your daily column just to explain in words to quite a few people in Sandys Parish, who I think or should I say I believe, that they are a bunch of dogmatic people, whenever there is something that concerns me. They are very naive when it comes to the truth about certain things when it boils down to certain people that holds a special position in office of an institution in which I have known for over fifty-five years. I really believe they suffer from aboulia, as to the way they act or carry on at times.

I would go as far as to look at them as fools, some are the constant cause of aggro, and very mendacious. The one things I can say is that nobody tells me what to say, who to speak to, and I do not follow others because they don't like a person. I do have a mind of my own, and that says quite a lot, for me or anyone else for that matter. But hear me, and hear me well, to all those that made the statements, that they can't handle me, don't like me or can't stand me, only because of the way I am, meaning I will always speak my mind whenever the truth has to be put forward, I am not, or never will be a puppet for nobody.

My last words to all of those people, and they all know just who they are, do one thing for me and that is, you can kiss the first stone that Solomon King laid for his temple in Egypt 125BC and by their measurements in that time, the first stone was laid for a small room under the temple, which measured 15 ft. in length, 8 ft. in width and 8 ft. in depth, and it was only used when they started to build the temple above, and mostly used by the slaves. Read between the lines, if you all can, and one will get to see just where I am coming from. Have a good life, even to a few neighbours. I am that I am, I will stay that way, until the master calls.

GEORGE E. L. BREMAR

Sandys

Only in Christ...

August 28, 2008

Dear Sir,

Kindly accept my sincere appreciation for the privilege provided through this medium to express my humble opinions and to take this opportunity to commend our government on their prompt attention to the escalating occurrence of youth violence in our community. It is my firm belief that most youth are giving negative expression to a need for acceptance, a sense of belonging, a hunger for more than nominal inclusion in society, a need for hope and faith and love.

A high-handed approach, a show of force and also of violence in the adult world, may only tend to exacerbate their already antagonistic attitude toward all forms of authority — God and man. It may also serve, to inflame an already explosive situation. May I humbly submit that only as we teach them, by example, "not to render evil for evil, but to overcome evil with good". Romans 12:17-21, can we hope to successfully curb this social and moral plague. It is incumbent on us to teach them that the true need is a sincere 'heart change' which Christ alone can impart. Thanks for bringing this to the attention of the public.

HEART CHANGE

Pembroke

Expand EVR system

August 28, 2008

Dear Sir,

If the ever increasing traffic problems are not redressed — the frequencies of injuries and death on our roads can do nothing other than burgeon to be an everyday happening. In an attempt at a solution — my remedy would start from say January 1, 2010 — when by means of island covering densities install an amended version of our but recently acquired EVR system in order to record and validate each and ever speeding violation!

Secondly — mandate that every yearly licensed application leave a credit card imprint at TCD. Thirdly on the back of the issued license — list the credit card charges which will apply against a graduated range of speed violations!

Thereafter a substantial financial outlay will be needed to ensure a '24-hour watch' on our island roads! Yet, the savings the Police Services will accrue, when compounded with the fines levied against our 'cavalier' roadsters — should provide our Accountant General with endless upkeep funds.

WILLIAM SCOTT

Southampton

Blame is not the issue

August 27, 2008

Dear Sir,

May I suggest to Phil Cracknell (August 26) that Blame is not the issue. Recognition of the long term impact of the past and adjustments in the present are.

EVA N. HODGSON

Hamilton Parish

Just who is full of fluff?

August 30, 2008

Dear Sir,

In reference to the letter from LaVerne Furbert in response to mine, the most glaring omission from her letter is an explanation as to how the PLP can justify an inflation rate of 9% in government spending and what has happened to $2.4 billion of overspending above and beyond a normal inflation rate of 3%. In typical PLP fashion, there is a stony silence when tough questions are asked because there is no plausible explanation, other than gross financial mismanagement. I also note that LaVerne Furbert uses up gobs of column inches just to tell us how qualified she and all her colleagues are, including Calvin Smith who has a Master's Degree in computer applications. I believe this is the same Calvin Smith who as President of the Credit Union stated that the missing $1 million from the Union's accounts was because of a 'computer error'. I was always taught that computers only do what we humans tell them to do.

FYI: I am a Fellow of The Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants, a prestigious worldwide accounting and finance organisation. So tell me Ms Furbert who's letter is 'full of fluff'?

PHIL CRACKNELL