Close to losing control

May 14, 2009

Dear Sir,

By saying that gang members from the United States are infiltrating the Bermuda gang culture is like saying that Bermuda doesn't have a clue on curbing gang violence or even where it started. The Government and Police have been well aware of the gang violence for many years and just now it has just dawned on them that since they don't know how to handle this situation, "let's blame it on the States" without even addressing the core problems that create the gang mentality. Let's start with parenting ... both working to generate enough income to live comfortably in Bermuda while creating the latch key child rearing. What do you expect to happen? Single parents holding a job and trying to raise a child or children without any real supervision. What do you expect to happen?

A less than adequate educational system that fosters high levels of dropouts who then turn to the streets for support and recognition ... aka gang enrolment. No one should be surprised with what happens next. A justice system that gives token punishment for anti-social behaviour that only fosters more disrespect since they know that there is no punishment to fit the crime. You can blame the US for lots of things but you can't place blame on the States for raising the soon to be gang members on the island. Look inward, all you fine citizens and parents of Bermuda. You are the ones to blame for the actions of your children, not the United States. You had better take some positive steps before your beautiful island becomes like many of the other Caribbean islands. You're getting very close to the point of losing control.

GEORGE COLESWORTHY

Flatts Village

Editor's note: The story referred to did not quote either the Governor or the Police blaming Bermuda's gang problems on the US.

All should be outraged

May 7, 2009

Dear Sir,

All Bermudians, whether PLP, UBP or unaffiliated to any party, should be outraged by the recent actions of the Premier. And all members of the PLP should understand that by approving his actions they take ownership of them. That means they will be responsible if Bermuda loses its reputation as a stable and well run island. On the economic side, everyone needs to understand that 80 percent of Bermuda's current income is provided by the international companies who have come to Bermuda because it had, and I stress had, a stable and respected government. His recent behaviour and actions threaten Bermuda's very future.

Tourism alone cannot provide the US dollars that Bermuda needs to thrive. Without those dollars currently provided by the international companies Bermuda would have a balance of payments problem. It is these very US dollars that enable us to buy the every day things we need such as groceries, clothing, oil, electricity, not to mention providing the dollars needed to pay wages and salaries. The Bermuda dollar on its own is worthless outside of Bermuda. It is only of value when it is backed by the US dollar.

To survive in the present world situation and particularly bearing in mind the current investigations into offshore jurisdictions by President Obama and the OECD, Bermuda desperately needs to maintain its good reputation as a first class jurisdiction. The recent behaviour of the Premier puts that in jeopardy. When Premiers interfere with the hiring and firing of civil servants and ask Cabinet Ministers to swear allegiance to them Bermuda is on a downward path which it may be difficult to stop. I urge PLP supporters to take action before the situation deteriorates further.

ANNE PEARSON

City of Hamilton

Congrats to Leisure Time

May 6, 2009

Dear Sir,

In this age of high-definition television, many electronic stores are depending on the ignorant end user to keep up the HDMI cable scam. For those of you who don't know, HDMI (High-Definition-Multimedia-Interface) cable carries both audio and video signals over a single cable. Without this cable, the new flat-panel high-definition televisions cannot produce a true high definition picture. Over the past few years, dealers have been selling this cable at outrageous prices. The "Monster" brand in particular can sell for as much as $300 for a twelve foot cable. Moreover, this particular brand has been the subject of so much hype that some would have you believe that any less expensive cable is inferior and will not produce a quality picture.

The fact of the matter is that for cable lengths of 15 feet or less, there is no difference in picture quality between a $100 cable and a $10 cable. (For those who don't believe this you can simply Google it). So inflamed over a local stores' price of $99 for a 15-foot HDMI cable, I went on the Internet and purchased two 15-foot HDMI cables for $9.94 each – one tenth of the price! Moreover, when I hooked them up to my television they worked just fine. Let's face it, with digital signals you either get a picture or you do not. After purchasing my cable I did in fact find out that Leisure Time sells their fifteen foot HDMI cable for a mere $19.95. My congratulations to them for not trying to fleece the public and also for making the "Buy Bermuda" initiative plausible.

WATCHDOG

Sandys

College is best option

May 14, 2009

Dear Sir,

Choices are being finalised for college education as I write. As well as having been responsible for the education of two children in Bermuda and Canada, now parents with families of their own, I have been involved with scholarship committees, training and human resource management throughout my career. I do understand the importance of encouraging family to acquire the highest qualifications commensurate with ability and also, in these difficult times, the importance of cost effective choices. With this in mind, I note that College costs and entry requirements vary widely by location. The latest information I have seen for Bachelor level courses suggests that fees for nearly all Private and some State Universities rated competitive and above in the USA tend to be approximately twice that of Canada and the University of West Indies in Barbados (International Students not provided with Government support). The good news is that Bermudians who go to University in the UK are no longer charged overseas fees.

So total costs for British/Bermudians without overseas citizenship including airfares, fees, books, accommodation etc. vary from about $15,000 (UK) to $45,000 plus per year (USA). In fact to save money, many USA citizens are now sending their offspring to University in Canada where fees are often less than half as much.

Parents everywhere are trying to stretch their dollars and whilst there are scholarships available in Bermuda they are extremely competitive and even where awarded will probably not cover the full cost. It is therefore incumbent on parents and students to research costs at all the locations as well as ensuring courses/degrees are at least of a competitive standard and not be persuaded by such things as average temperature or peer pressure.

Parents and students will find minimum admission standards vary widely from country to country because of different education systems and may also vary with course major. American/West Indies minimum requirements are typically High School Graduation/GCE O levels or equivalent together with appropriate SAT results and in Canada one year of study with appropriate grades past GCE "O" level or equivalent which means either an extra year at a private school (Advanced Placements or IB programme) or a year at the Bermuda College. The UK will require "A" levels, which are not normally offered in Bermuda, or equivalent such as an Associate Degree (Bermuda College) or an International Baccalaureate.

Of course, good advice from sources such as Career Counselors at schools and the Bermuda College will help with choices. I do note however that we tend to be persuaded by our own backgrounds so we need to keep an open mind.

I would encourage Bermudian high school graduates to take advantage of the opportunities of the almost cost free full time courses at Bermuda College. These not only may give credit towards university courses and allow students to meet admission requirements especially in Canada and the United Kingdom, they provide an opportunity for young persons to mature before travelling overseas. Parents will save a lot of money and students who graduate with associate degrees become eligible for consideration for Government scholarships or loans. Oh and yes, our children spent a minimum of one year at Bermuda College, which they both appreciated.

RON LUCAS, Fellow CIPD

Smith's

Look no further

May 14, 2009

Dear Sir,

Further to Tim Marshall's letter to the editor in the May 7 edition of The Royal Gazette, disapproving of the Corporation of Hamilton's project to expand on grade parking along the waterfront at the former Number 1 shed, I thought it might be instructive to link his critique to the article following on page 36 of the same edition (in your Green Pages supplement) highlighting the Alys Beach urban development in Florida – an intriguing facsimile of our local vernacular building traditions.

In anticipation of the collective shrug of shoulders from the Corporation of Hamilton Members when challenged by Mr. Marshall on why the City is entangled in this dreary grid of cynical parking lots, claiming they have to appease a public who demand convenient parking next to businesses, they should be asked to consider this oddly familiar urban design precedent and explain why this will not work for Hamilton.

While Bermudian Architecture superficially inspires the design of Alys Beach waterfront community, clearly inspiration for all its public urban spaces has come from somewhere other than Bermuda. Our car-centric culture is an anathema to the design values underpinning the planning strategies of this development, where the pedestrian is prioritised over the car to create places people positively respond to, and as a consequence, creates an environment that supports business – particularly retail.

No doubt those prosaic shopkeepers at City Hall will roll their eyes at such silly utopian ideas – and continue with their unwavering mantra that the car is king and shoppers must be allowed to park in front of stores to ensure the survival of merchants' businesses – but the number of major New Town projects in North America embracing this "New Urbanism" planning philosophy requires their attention.

Mr. Marshall is aware (and I suspect so are many others) that revitalising the retail cores of city centres is only successfully achieved when the pedestrian is no longer subservient to the car – a concept that is obviously far too counter-intuitive for the merchant sensibilities that have always prejudiced the decision making at City Hall.

SIMON HODGSON

City of Hamilton

Failure is not an option

May 13, 2009

Dear Sir,

The public school system in Bermuda is a mess. Government and Opposition leaders send their students to private schools rather than putting them into the failed public system. There is a huge dropout rate and a constant threat of bullying. The mega-school system does not work. We are creating a problem where students are bullied into gangs. This problem then moves out of the schools into our communities. A good education means that crime levels drop, more people are able to get well paid and productive jobs, and more people can afford homes and rents. Our greatest asset is our people. I suggest that we have smaller local high schools, each with their own boards of governors. In the past and present it is clear that the aided schools with their own boards of governors work better and more efficiently than anything run directly from the Ministry of Education. Cluster boards are an unproven experiment. We need to stop experimenting and use methods that are proven to show results.

I suggest that we get rid of middle schools because every time a student changes school they lose a year of education. Please note the advantage that schools like Warwick Academy, Saltus and BHS have. The primary, middle and high schools are all connected on the same or nearby property. Teachers may communicate and prepare students to move from one stage to another with minimum difficulty. Note that private schools do their exams at age 15 while public schools do similar exams at age 17. The common argument to this suggestion is that private schools are allowed to pick their students, but I counter that by reminding the reader to remember Warwick Academy and Berkeley as Government Aided schools, and remember the results that they achieved. This does lead to the question of testing and separating students based on ability.

We need to be aware that putting all students in the same class no matter what their abilities are will have an effect on the class. Teachers then have the daunting task of trying to push the smart students, maintaining the regular students, and helping the challenged students all at the same time. Before we continue to blame the teachers, question what we are asking of them and put them into a position where they can do their jobs. Please do not ask a teacher to do the impossible and get mad at them when they fail. If students of all levels must be in the same classroom, teacher's aides will be required. If not, separate students based on ability so that each student gets the attention that they need.

I will also suggest that we use internationally recognised exams so that our students may be able to compete in the real world. Students that are not academic should be taught technical trades and gain the appropriate certificates. Make sure that classes are taught all year. Do not have a subject taught for one or two terms a year and expect students to retain that knowledge for whenever they are taught that subject again. Bullies, gang members and troublemakers need to be removed from the traditional school system and taught in strict military like situation. This is not to say that they should be taught from a different syllabus, but they need to be kept under strict disciplinary conditions. If they are taught correctly they have the potential to become future, productive citizens and leaders.

I have been told that the Government cannot do anything about the current school system. Too much money has been put into it for them to change it, but does it make sense to continue to put money into a system that does not work? The current system will not work no matter how much money anyone throws at it. Your hands are not tied. If you are in a position of power you can affect positive change. We need to implement a system based on things that have worked in the past and present and stop experimenting with the future of our children and our country. If we do not change we are putting ourselves on the path of destruction. Change must be implemented quickly and effectively so we do not lose more students to the pit falls of a poor education, dead end jobs, poor pay, the temptation of crime to make a quick dollar ect. I fear for the future of our country. I see the problem clearly, and I see a solution that will work if implemented correctly. Let's put our egos to the side and work together for the future of our home.

Why is it so important that we fix our education system? Revolutions are an inevitable fact of life in a society. Power must change hands and the Democratic (or Republic) system allows for a peaceful change of power. If a group of people are excluded from gaining power (via strength, finance, or education) revolution becomes a very violent and destructive affair. By educating the population you enable people to gain power through peaceful means. By refusing to give people a proper education you exclude them from society leaving them with no options but to seek empowerment through illegal and violent means. If someone has a better idea as to how we may fix our broken education system please put your thoughts forward. Please come up with well thought of arguments and not just statements opposing my suggestions. Our community is built from the foundation of education. We cannot let it fail.

M. BRIAN SWAN

Warwick