Do more to fight Bird FluJanuary 27, 2006

Dear Sir,I saw Patrice Minors on the front page of your paper recently attempting (poorly) to convince the Bermuda people that Government will do all it can to prepare us in case of a pandemic. What a joke! Planning a country to deal with a pandemic requires more than sitting around a table and sorting out how garbage will be collected and what to do with feral chickens! There are many in the USA who believe that they are not prepared for a pandemic outbreak of Bird Flu due to lack of funding and adequate medical supplies (thanks to President Bush putting so much money and effort into developing the space programme and War on Iraq. Hmm — much like the Bermuda Government dumping $11 million into cricket when we have other areas that need more attention and money!)

Under what delusional sky has our Health Minister dreamed up the concept that she can adequately prepare Bermuda? I feel that Patrice Minors and the Bermuda Government have not fully grasped the magnitude of what kind of trouble Bermuda will be in if Bird Flu reaches our shores. She has not made any mention of Bermuda addressing more serious issues such as: Pharmaceutical drugs, both prescription and over the counter, blood supply, number of available hospital beds, when to put a stop to elective surgeries (get your face lifts, tummy tucks & breast jobs done now while you can!), food, water, fuel both for vehicles and cooking — just to mention a few.

During a worldwide pandemic, many dominoes will fall. In the Hurricane Katrina aftermath, the USA experienced a shortage of refrigerated trucks. Why? Because Louisiana had a large parking lot and requested that truckers consider getting paid to have their refrigerated trucks sit in a parking lot to hold the deceased and other emergency items such ice, water, food etc. What happened? There were many states across the USA who could not move their goods due to no trucks being available.

Let’s stop and think about how we get our food and water supply. Our goods arrive on our shores by boat or plane. What would happen if neither were available? What will happen when our hospital is filled to capacity? How will we choose between supplying medicine to an elderly person on life support as opposed to a younger person? How will a lack of blood supply affect us? Has Mrs. Minors noticed that we are a little Island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean? How will we be protected from spreading the virus? Will face masks help? If so, what kind?

Pharmaceutical drugs will be a huge problem worldwide. There are only a few countries in the world that produce “core” ingredients that go into medications like blood pressure medication, cancer medication, Tylenol etc. These “core” ingredients are harvested and sent overseas to be used in the making of drugs. These countries are usually poor Third World countries who will be hit the hardest if the Bird Flu pandemic gets out of control. Many people who depend on drugs to stay healthy and alive will be hit the hardest. Let’s stop and think about the timing in which we get our flu shots every year. Bermuda receives their supply of flu shots at least two weeks behind it becomes available in the USA and Canada. In 2005 one of the batches sent over to Bermuda was returned due to “issues”. We cannot even guarantee getting our regular flu shots right the first time.

Patrice Minors and Dr. Cann “think” they can get Bermuda ready for a pandemic. Not! I would feel more secure in knowing the ‘emergency’ team being set up will have people who really know about state emergencies and have had some experience. Personally, I have no faith in the leadership of Mrs. Minors. I feel that she talks a good talk but there is very little knowledge behind her words. One only has to look at her callous remarks concerning the Salvation Army situation to know that she is not a hands-on or caring Minister. I see our leaders as unprepared as the USA was during the Katrina aftermath. My thought — we have what a bunch of delusional clowns preparing Bermuda for serious issues!ANA MEDEIROS

Pembroke<$>Too steep a price for beerJanuary 27, 2006

Dear Sir,By the time retailers in Bermuda have paid shipping, insurance and import duty on their wholesale purchases, it is often difficult for them to remain competitive. People living in Bermuda are aware of this; they accept it and frequent the establishments anyway. However, one establishment that will no longer see my custom is the Little Venice Wine Bar. The reason for my disgruntlement?

The Little Venice Wine Bar charges just under $11.50 (including compulsory gratuities) for a bottle of Heineken! I appreciate that the establishment is a wine bar and that they wish to discourage people from going there just to drink beer, but if I am purchasing glasses of wine for a group of my friends and I am charged $11.50 for a single beer, you can be assured that I too will be discouraging people — but not only from drinking beer.DG

City of Hamilton<$>Road Safety questionsJanuary 28, 2006

Dear Sir,Congratulations to Dr. Christopher Johnson on his appointment as Chairman of the Road Safety Council. While one could believe that this position is of ceremonial value only (the council is not mentioned in the Motor Car Act of 1951 and apparently has no real mandate, and therefore no accountability), the media have given his appointment extensive coverage, so I guess there is more to this position than meets the eye. Dr. Johnson has his work (whatever it may be) cut out for him, as the situation on our roads seems to become worse each year.

I do not question the sincerity of Dr. Johnson’s commitment to the position, although I do have some questions about his appointment. First, why was such a significant appointment made without public consultation? If the introduction of Dr. Johnson requires the fanfare of a press conference, then certainly public consultation should be part of the process. Incidentally, the listing of Government boards in the Bermuda Sun on January 6 listed Dr. Johnson as the chair. Did nobody in the media notice this until it was announced 20 days later?

The next, and more important question is: What qualifications does Dr. Johnson possess that will make our roads safer? All we’ve heard so far is that he is passionate, and that he sees the victims of road accidents in his operating room. By this rationale, a skilled and exuberant auto-mechanic would also be qualified for the job. Of course, nobody that wields a tool as primitive as a wrench would be considered for the post by our elitist government.APPLESAUCE

Pembroke<$>More traffic proposalsJanuary 26, 2006

Dear Sir,Every now and then there is a truly constructive Letter to the Editor. For those who missed it, this particular example was written on January 4 by Warren Brown and published in The Royal Gazette of January 23. While much time elapsed between the writing and the publishing, the material facts have not changed much in the interim, only the intensity of the traffic situation he so eloquently addresses. Government should be encouraged because his suggestions fit nicely into policies that, judging by the results, are in fact already instituted. Among these are larger more powerful cars generally, absence of visible Police presence, increased exhaust noise and boom-box thumping beyond the legal limits, etc., and even the recent installation of speed enunciators for pack racing competitions.

In addition to the progressive suggestions Mr. Brown offers, Government should not be deflected from this general thrust, recognising that it fulfils the basic desires and aspirations of so many who depend on our roads for well-earned excitement, the relief of simple competitive urges, and an obvious right to express themselves with horns, electronic amplification and bored-out engines. Another idea that should immediately be instituted (or is actually in effect but as yet unannounced) will halve the amount of traffic on the roads, without restricting the use of vehicles in any way. In this concept, instead of a speed limit, a speed minimum is set. It is based on the mathematical principle that if one car sets out over a given stretch of road at 45 kph, it will be on that road for twice as long as a car travelling at 90 kph. Assuming the present average speed is 50 kph (don’t laugh), and extrapolate this principle to all vehicles on Bermuda’s roads, the density of traffic would be cut in two, providing no one was allowed to crawl along at less than 100 kph.

Initially, for starters, the adoption of a minimum of say, 100 kph, makes sense, halving the congestion immediately, before fully developing the scheme. A clear advantage would be less overtaking by motorcycles — many seem to loose accelerative efficiency around 100 kph — but those that could, would permanently reduce the number of vehicles by the minimum of two, when meeting similarly equipped friends coming the other way. Should it be determined that motorbikes were in fact too slow to keep to the minimum, especially on hills, an increase in power could quickly be introduced, establishing a happy speed equilibrium among vehicle types. Mr. Brown addresses noise.

It is logical, surely, that while a cycle wound up to its maximum output, stripped out muffler and re-bored engine, with its harebrained rider flat on the tank, helmet trailing in the wind, will make more noise than one at half the speed. It may well be found however, that the noise may not increase in proportion to speed, and besides, the halving the number of these vehicles on the road at any one time should commensurately reduce the total of the racket we currently enjoy. Hope springs eternal.

Another mathematical fact that should be grasped is that the chance of an accident declines directly in proportion to the reduction in time spent in places accidents might occur. In other words, if you never go on the road at all, you will never have a vehicle accident, that is, unless you are gardening and are hit by a wayward car that has come through your wall. You will then become only a statistic in another column, quite extraneous to the subtraction of one more car from the overall traffic density. As a consequence it would be beneficial, in conjunction with the minimum speed provision, to remove impediments to maintaining the crucial 100 kph.

The removal of stop signs and traffic lights would not only materially assist the minimum speed concept but also ensure a sharp reduction of time spent in danger zones, thus the incidents of accidents. There are obviously many other spin-off advantages. One, of course, will be a sharp reduction in candidates for intensive care, owing to what accidents there are, as it were, leaving few candidates to further overwork Dr. Christopher Johnson. More reefer containers might be needed outside the hospital’s morgue, but that would be a small price to pay for a reduction in traffic congestion.ELDON TRIMINGHAM

St. George’s<$>We are owed the truthJanuary 26, 2006Dear Sir,What a relief it was to read in this morning’s Royal Gazette that the Hon. Patrice Minors has held a “positive meeting” with Maj. Lindsay Rowe of the Salvation Army. We must all look forward to their joint press release later this week. It had been most disturbing to hear the Premier’s earlier comments at a press conference about a single complaint from a homeless vagrant who had apparently asked not to be sent to the shelter. Although the Premier described this as “purely anecdotal” he chose to use this one so-called complaint to lambaste the Salvation Army. Had he bothered to check first to hear their side of the story? They appear to have been found guilty with no opportunity to defend themselve<\4>s.

Having had dealings with both the Salvation Army staff and many of our homeless vagrants, I am acutely aware that vagrants are not permitted to enter the shelter at night if they are either very drunk or severely under the influence of drugs, mainly because they become a danger and a nuisance to other people using the shelter. Nor are they allowed to take drugs or alcohol onto the premises. This may sound like a tough policy for an alcoholic or drug addict, but it does help to set parameters and protect other users of the facility.

It is very easy to criticise any organisation, particularly when one holds all of the power, in this case the power to provide, deny, or withhold funding, so the Premier can make such a statement without fear of being challenged by Maj. Rowe or any other Salvation Army official. I believe it would be helpful to the public if the Hon. Patrice Minors can include two things in the joint press release. Firstly, let us all know what she found out about the Salvation sending ten percent of all their donations for running the shelter off the Island. Either it is true or it is false. We are owed the truth.

Secondly, she should also provide us with comprehensive details of the complaint received by the Premier, along with an explanation from Major Rowe, so that we can all judge for ourselves whether the Salvation Army is acting in the best interests of those who are unfortunate enough to have to use the shelter. The chances are that Maj. Rowe and his staff will know the individual in question far better than the Premier, and will know first-hand about his history with their organisation.FOR TRANSPARENCY AND TRUTH

Smith’s Parish<$>We need actionJanuary 25, 2006Dear Sir,Like many others I am appalled by the carnage that took place over the past weekend on our roads. Every time we have a spate of crashes there is a great outcry from the community and rightly so. What are we doing about it? Nothing! We wring our hands, cry, and say what a shame. I have news for Mr. Hayward who claims in today’s Bermuda Sun that “Driver mentality is rapidly shifting from order to anarchy”: This happened some two to three years ago, and the process has been fairly complete for some while, although it continues to worsen. Wake up Stuart!

I, and many others better equipped, educated and positioned than I, have offered collectively sensible and complete solutions, but there have been no takers. Does this mean that we condone our present driving/riding behaviour? Apparently so! We cannot seem to disapprove enough to change things. This is sick! Let me cut to the chase: For every stupid rider/driver who makes a bad decision, for every ignorant rider/driver who gets into trouble, for every young rider who thinks they are immortal, for every person who crashes their motor vehicle and hurts or kills themselves (and/or somebody else), there is only one body who can and should be held responsible.

We the taxpayers pay their salaries. We have the right to demand more from them. Instead of seeing talking heads on television, or in the newspapers, we need action, we need a plan, we need common sense, we need police who are empowered to enforce the good laws properly, and if the laws are ineffective, scrap them and give us what we need to get this situation under control. It is really simple in concept. The answers are all there, they don’t even need to put a lot of thought into it. This is a management issue.

From this date forward, until I feel that there have been significant efforts and results made in reversing this trend, this writer will consider the blood of our country men and women, and that of our guests to be on the hands of our Government in the event of these unnecessary crashes. They have the power to fix what is wrong, and they steadfastly refuse to address the issue. This is unacceptable.TOM TRIMINGHAM

Paget