Why the long wait?

April 17, 2003

Dear Sir,

The Government of Bermuda should make every effort to speed up the entry process at Immigration. First impressions are so important. In the past year the immigration process has become onerous to visitors in a way that can be easily corrected.

I have been visiting the Island for 36 years, and to the best of my knowledge it is only in the recent past that Bermuda has gone to a holding pen approach for visitors clearing Immigration. In the past visitors would enter the Immigration Hall and join into one of five or six lines to clear the authorities. Now, a visitor enters one line which snakes back and forth, moving only as fast as its slowest part. It is human nature to want to move forward in a line ... not sideways. The cattle pen approach is frustrating and dehumanising.

Because most incoming flights from the US and Canada arrive at or near the same time, it is important that all immigration booths are occupied and processing visitors during this peak time. For an incoming visitor to Bermuda to spend more time in the new holding pens than he or she did in the plane is ridiculous and an avoidable error.

In addition, the Government should make every effort to work with the airlines to make airfares for visitors competitive with other warm weather destinations.

JOHN STOCKBRIDGE

Bedford, New York

One tax too many

April 18, 2003

Dear Sir,

I visited Bermuda for the 13th time during the week of April 5-13, 2003. I purchased a ticket with US Airways which included the Bermuda exit fee in the cost.

Upon arrival at the Bermuda Airport I was asked to pay an $8 Facilities Tax. This was not announced in any travel literature.

The person at the counter would not accept anything but the exact amount. It was somewhat embarrassing trying to find enough change to make up the $8 when I had a ten and twenty dollar bill. My greater concern is constantly hearing people in Bermuda complain about tourism being at an all time low. In some cases major hotels have had to close. And then, without notice, a facility tax is levied. It seems if Bermuda is interested in tourism, they would do everything possible to make it easier for travellers. It is much easier to get special discounts to Europe, Hawaii, East to West Coast US tickets, etc. There are very few discounts to Bermuda because of the high cost of Airport landing and processing fees.

It would seem that the facility tax could be made up some other way. The $8 charge is not the issue. It's the idea of adding another bit of confusion to an already complex problem.

LONNIE P. CRESS

Warrenton, Virginia

Vaccinations may be risky

April 18, 2003

Dear Sir,

As everyone knows, April is Autism Awareness month and I have been reading the articles with interest.

I have been disturbed, however, that there has been no reporting of the highly probable link between immunisations and autism. This link has been made in particular between mercury and autism. Up until about three years ago, and thus from the early 1990's until about 1999, almost all childhood vaccines contained thimerosal, a form of mercury. A child receiving a vaccination using a multi-dose vial could receive as much as 62.5mcg of mercury per visit! This is over 100 times more than considered safe for a 6-month old by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The FDA finally conceded that there may be a link between mercury and vaccine-injured children, and thus now require that vaccines be thimerosal -free.

In other countries including the US, babies are injected with the Hepatitis B vaccine (which contains thimerosal) on their very first day of life!!! This too has been linked with autism. They don't do this in Bermuda, though they do schedule it at nine months and again at one year - though it is not necessary until they reach the age of ten years!

Since the 1980s, the number of vaccinations received by children under the age of 2 has increased from eight to about 20. This number is being "reduced" by the manufacture of super combined vaccinations (e.g. five shots in one) - personally I feel that our children are guinea pigs as we won't know for several years what the combined effect of these vaccinations will be. Another questionable vaccination is the MMR which toddlers receive at 18 months. In many cases of autistic children, these children are perfectly normal until they have received this shot! And yet many deny the connection. I feel with all of my heart for the Crow family and others dealing with autistic children.

I would like to offer a website, www.mercola.com, that contains information regarding vaccinations, autism, the type of diet that autistic children should adhere to, the link between pharmaceutical companies and those approving vaccinations, etc. This may be a controversial comment but all parents should read about the adverse effects of vaccinations because in all honesty - the pharmaceutical companies really don't care about the health of our children... they care about their bottom line. In the early 1990's the autism rates used to be about 1 in 2500 (the rate depends on the country, state, etc.) - there is no way that genetics alone could cause an increase to 1 in 250!

In the USA, every state (except Massachusetts and Puerto Rico) within the last ten years has had an increase of a minimum of 200 percent of autistic children - in most states, the increase is well over 400 percent and in some cases is over 1000 percent!! Genetics alone? Something to think about.

B. THORNE

City of Hamilton

P.s. And yes, I am a parent, with two children, who by the grace of God, are not autistic. I started researching vaccines after the birth of our first son (who did receive all of his shots) but I am more wary and restrictive about the shots that our second son will/not receive