November 10, 2006

Dear Sir,

I understand that the Premier is planning to make all public transport free to encourage more use of these services.

It's not the cost that discourages me from using our buses, it's the time schedules. On many routes buses only run every half hour, and you can't accurately judge when the bus will arrive at your stop, so if you miss one, that's a half hour wait (if the next bus comes when it should) and many of them stop running at 6 or 7 p.m.

A more frequent service is what's needed, not to mention our bus drivers driving a little less recklessly.

S. STEWART

Devonshire

November 13, 2006

Dear Sir,

There have been suggestions that our new Premier should revoke the term limit provisions relating to work permits. He should do no such thing. These provisions are one of the best initiatives introduced by the PLP governments of the last eight years. By introducing these provisions the PLP had the courage to tackle the long term resident problem which the UBP had ignored for thirty years.

Why should we allow every person that works in Bermuda to become a potential problem because we have to give them permanent residency as a result of letting them stay too long? We simply cannot accommodate even a small fraction of those people. Furthermore, shouldn't any scope we do have to relax term limits be directed towards our international businesses which form the largest part of our economy? These businesses need world class talent because they have to compete on a global basis and they can also leave, at great cost to our economy, if conditions become unfavourable. We cannot accommodate everybody so doesn't it make sense to select the underwriters and actuaries instead of the waiters and chamber maids?

Rather than throwing out term limits as has been suggested, they should be tightened up for local businesses by getting rid of the key personnel provisions. Local businesses may state that they need continuity in key positions but six years is a fair period of continuity. Also they have to cope and continue when staff leave voluntarily with perhaps one month's notice so why can't they do it with six years notice? Also if continuity is so important isn't that a good reason to train Bermudians?

The alternative to term limits is that the foreign workers, and their children, may still be here in 10 or 15 years competing on equal terms with Bermudians and their children for jobs and housing. Dr. Brown and his colleagues should be aware that if they do not follow through with the term limit provisions they will not be getting my (as yet undecided) vote at the next election, or the votes of many other people I know.

OBSERVER

Warwick

November 9, 2006

Dear Sir,

I am writing in regard to an article in your paper on November 8: "Driver leads Police on high-speed chase through streets of Hamilton."

Was anyone else appalled by the fact that this man was only fined a total of $1,700 and banned from the road for one year? This man put Police officers and pedestrians in harm's way and he was just fined and suspended from driving? Wake up Bermuda!

Laws need to be put into place that state if you flee from the Police, you will not only lose your licence and get fined but you will also serve time in jail.

Do you think that this man is not going to keep on driving even though his licence has been revoked? If you think he's going to stay off the road because the court took away his license you're fooling yourself.

Bermudians, you need to take action by telling the law makers that they need to get tougher on these criminals.

November 13, 2006

Dear Sir,

I am concerned about the number of drivers who are on the roads with broken or missing front number plates. This is more common on weekends when I see as many as five motorists with plates in such a condition. If someone hits us we have only the colour or make of car to go on if the motorist refuses to stop. Are the Police looking out for this? Can we do an anonymous report? How?

Mobile phones continue to be used which makes the roads more dangerous as the driver cannot exercise complete attention. Surely we need full concentration on Bermuda's tiny roads?

November 10, 2006

Dear Sir

It has been estimated by the EU's statistics agency Eurostat, that the population in the EU will fall dramatically by 2050. Deaths are predicted to outnumber births in the next five years. Some European countries face having one in three citizens over the retirement age. The research was commissioned to try to estimate the scale of the pensions crisis that Europe will face as its population ages dramatically. The same crisis faces North America. Most governments fund retirement benefits from the taxes paid by those in employment and that system will come under unbearable strain as Europe and North America becomes greyer.

As detailed in recently, Bermuda also faces this pension crisis. It is only the presence of an ever-ending cycle of young, expatriate employees who come to Bermuda for four or five years, pay into our Social Insurance, and then depart, that plumps up the insurance fund and lulls us into a false sense of security. The Bermuda Government must begin to proactively face this looming pension problem or else those retiring will find the benefits meagre, and those currently in their 20s and younger, will find themselves taxed ever more heavily as the years go by to support the ever increasing ageing and ailing population.

The retirement age must be increased: Many Bermuda businesses can forcibly retire staff when they reach the age of 60. Seventy years ago, being a 60-year-old would mean you had one foot in the grave. Now 60-year-olds are healthier than they were in their 40s! To forcibly retire an individual is a waste of intellect and experience.

As the Bermudian population ages and the birth rate decreases, available young Bermudians will be few and far between to fill the vacancies created by retirement. It will become an employees' market and competition for good staff will be keen. Increasing the retirement age will ensure that those Bermudians who want to can stay in the job market, resulting in fewer guest workers being brought in from overseas, which in turn will help our social infrastructure.

Increasing the retirement age to 65 needs to be legislated as soon as possible and supported by parliamentarians from both sides of the House. This will not fix the looming pension crisis, but it will be a move in the right direction.

November 11, 2006

Dear Sir,

I would like to comment on the letter entitled, "Beware of the gay agenda". All that comes to mind is what planet are you from CC, Pembroke?

Well, CC (Concerned Citizen), I am from Earth where a democratic world exists and equal rights are part of that picture. I am certain there are countless people reading this thanking me for writing.

First, speaking poorly about a country and government like Canada who is a major contributor both financially and otherwise to creating world peace is appalling. Furthermore, comparing Hitler to this? Are you Joking? The last time I checked Canada is a very popular place for many Bermudians to attend schools and to become educated; hmmm, I wonder if all those Bermudians are going to turn into raging homosexuals ? at least they'll be smarter? Interestingly enough, you are so concerned? Please! Hiding behind religion yet again. How predictable. Have you ever thought that perhaps God is testing the heterosexual? Did you also know that there are gay pairings in every single species? Hm ...I wonder if all the animals are going to hell too?

To the bible folks. Quote all you like about homosexuals. What I think...God will laugh at you when you come to the gates of heaven with your bible. You know why? The last time I checked God created Man and Woman. Have you ever thought, he might be a she, or both? After all; we were created in his/her likeness. Oh and what do you do about the creation stories ? there are two of them? I wonder what God wants you to believe? How was this world created? Let me help you: Perhaps with what he/she hoped would be a subjective mind?

To all of the Government members reading this. Wake up and do something. Make some concrete history and protect this land against people who hate and discriminate similar to your "Concerned Citizen". Ohhhh wait a minute...maybe if you say something in front of other Government People they'll think you're gay....Ohhh wait a minute maybe you are...? Who cares???

One last thing. The last time I checked this is a British Territory. Britain, you have passed equal rights for Gay People in England it is time to step in and turn up the heat on this issue and give your countries people their equal = rights. England If you don't, Law suits will follow. Welcome to 2006.

To Bermudians for equal rights for all, please start writing and making your presence known to the Government. It is time to change Bermuda.

November 13, 2006

Dear Sir,

Numerous persons, including Bermuda's new premier, have spoken about the need to provide financial assistance to the poor to lighten the burden of skyrocketing housing costs. This letter discusses ways in which housing and other government subsidies can be used simultaneously as incentives to achieve additional social goals such as better parenting and better education.

The collective dialogue surrounding the growing gap between the haves and have-nots has correctly noted that the economic costs and benefits created by international business are not distributed evenly among the citizenry. For those persons who do not work either directly or indirectly in the international business sector (fishermen, farmers, artists, chamber maids, bus drivers, mailmen, shopkeepers, etc.,) the burden is particularly heavy because they do not have the bargaining power to demand higher wages to compensate for the higher rents and house prices they now must pay. In other words, the trickle-down effect of Bermuda's economic prosperity is not enough to compensate the less fortunate for the inflationary hardship they are forced to endure because of the increased wealth of the more fortunate. Housing subsidies and welfare payments can alleviate some of this burden. But these programmes can be modernised to do so much more than merely shift wealth. Properly implemented as incentives, they can change the behaviour of parents and their children.

Several counties in the United States have implemented pilot programmes that attach socially-positive conditions to government assistance payments, and early indications are very promising. Instead of simply giving families rent subsidies, the government pays the parents to attend parenting classes where they are taught not just basic parenting skills, but also how to help their children with their homework each night and how to set goals for them to be better students. These programmes also can be incorporated into the school system itself, with teachers working with parents to ensure homework assignments are completed consistently and on time.

Since Bermuda will be making these Government assistance payments anyway, doesn't it make sense that they simultaneously use these payments to achieve additional societal goals such as improving education and work ethic?

The long-term benefits of such programmes are likely to be substantial. They increase the probability that parents will become better parents, children will become better students, and the generational cycle of poverty and welfare dependency will be broken.

This type of programme can be expanded to include additional members of society. For instance, the Government could introduce a programme allowing households with incomes of less than, say, $40,000 to reduce their property taxes if they participate in the "homework completion" programme in which parents undertake to help their children with their homework each night. Just think about it. Not only would the government be reducing the burden of housing costs, but it would be helping Bermuda's children become better educated thereby reducing the need in the future to bring in foreign workers, which, in turn, reduces long-term inflationary pressure on housing and infrastructure.

November 10, 2006

Dear Sir,

There are almost no words to describe how I am to learn about the enormous increase in the incidence of violent acts in Bermuda!! This is not new news to me, but today's article with facts and figures brings it forcefully home.

I am tempted to ask what has so changed in Bermuda in the last couple of decades, but I think I know that the answer is made up of the same components as here:

Drug use has steadily increased, and the expectation of young males to become rich overnight by 'dealing', drives them to fierce competition with fellow pushers: rivals, as they see them.

Young men have, for whatever reason, become underachievers in school, not doing as well as females, not remaining in school long enough to complete secondary studies; and they see no use in proceeding to even Technical training when a) they may still not get employment; and b) they could achieve their goal of amassing money quicker by other (illegal) means!

North American society, the main influence on Bermuda, now values more than the outward show of possessions, all with the correct Brand names, rather than the inner qualities of good character and clean living...and so on.

On the other hand, one has to ask what is done for young people who are sentenced to prison, while they are in prison, that might encourage them live differently once they are released. Are there provisions to help them continue their education (regardless of age)? Can they learn a trade? Is there structure to their days? Is there treatment for drug addicts? I don't know the answer to any of these questions since I'm quite unfamiliar with your Prison System. But in a place as tiny as Bermuda, the answers to these questions should be everyone's concern; for there's nowhere to 'run', to remove oneself , from the possibility of becoming the victim of a crime. Stolen items which can be pawned or sold finance drug habits...not to mention stolen cash!

Bermuda's livelihood has traditionally been Tourism. Once travellers learn of the current dangerous situation in Bermuda, it wouldn't take them long to choose some other destination for a vacation. There are other places to choose from, some even far less expensive than Bermuda! This crime situation is NOT good news. And though some might think that the island now has far more interest in being a haven for offshore Finances (from Businesses dodging taxes in their own countries), let me inform them that Canada for one is intent on closing those loopholes - making this placement of capital offshore far less attractive option.

I have no quick fixes to offer to the above situation, but I would plead with all Parties to put forward constructive suggestions towards solution. Increased punishment is not the answer! It would be a shame for Beautiful Bermuda to become one of those places on the Travel Advisory List!