Each one, teach one

January 30, 2003

Dear Sir,

Dear Sir,

I have just finished perusing today's supplement on 'Men Making a Difference', featuring more then 100 men.

It occurred to me to throw out a challenge to these men, and others, to become a "big brother" or work on their own utilising their success and experience to "bring along" one youngster. Each one, reach one. It would make a difference. In the light of current events, and those of the past few days, it would appear that even more needs to be done for young black men.

I also challenge your paper to follow these men and report to your readers on a regular basis, as well as put out another supplement in a year's time.

Who will pay?

January 30, 2003

Dear Sir,

It appears that the PLP Government is determined to implement an Unemployment Insurance Scheme and has already put aside $1 million seed money in their last budget.

I am curious about who this will benefit. It is going to be for the genuinely "unemployed" or will it be for the unemployables and/or the wall-sitters?

Even their own Minister of Labour & Immigration has stated that every new job results in a work permit - in other words there are no Bermudians available to accept any new positions.

You might well say that there are no "qualified" Bermudians, but from my experience there are NO Bermudians qualified or unqualified out of work. Bermuda already has a safety net for Bermudians suddenly finding themselves temporarily without a job - indeed this was established when the last recession hit this Island in 1990. Financial assistance is provided in the way of help with rent, food bills etc. so that no one was without shelter or food.

What the PLP Government wants is to hand out CASH to anyone who applies and this will open up a real floodgate - as has happened in the UK, Canada and the USA. It is a system that is always abused by people who have no wish to get a job. It is a complete joke to implement such a scheme in an Island where there is absolutely NO UNEMPLOYMENT.

However, I do believe - after much thought on this matter - that I have found the answer as to why the PLP Government would want to implement something which is definitely not required and which will probably succeed in forcing the closure of more small business. The answer is the BIU

The only logical reason this Government wants an Unemployment Insurance Scheme is to provide money to the laid off hotel workers and I have no doubt that Mr. Burgess, as head of the BIU and an MP, is pushing to have this scheme quickly implemented.

Who will pay for this scheme? Will there be a cost to every single business in Bermuda, including the hotels.

Even Mr. Burgess (with his head firmly in the sand) must realise that the hotels simply cannot afford any additional costs. How many more tourist properties must close before Mr. Burgess realises that they are not making money here. At what point will he wake up?

As it is now, the hotels are forced to pay so much sick leave that can be accumulated year to year - and this is abused. Ask any hotelier about the number of days lost with "sick leave".

Furthermore, if anyone is made redundant, the hotels have to pay out huge lump sum payments to hotel staff (agreed in the BIU contract). If Mr. Burgess so desperately wants hotel staff to receive unemployment payments, then I suggest he offers something back to the hotels in their contract, so that sick leave is not abused and redundancy payments are not made. He cannot have it all ways.

Another thought. Will all Bermudian and non-Bermudian workers have to pay into this scheme? Will non-Bermudian workers be able to benefit as well as Bermudians? I think I know the answer: non-Bermudians will be told to leave the Island. So my question is how can non-Bermudians be expected to pay into a scheme from which they can never benefit?

Whether the PLP Government realises it or not, I can assure you that many businesses are struggling now, and one more cost could be the death knell for them. Even though the PLP tried to persuade everyone they are a "middle of the road party", it is now crystal clear they are Socialists through and through and they will bankrupt this beautiful Island if allowed to continue.

WAITING FOR ANSWERS

City of Hamilton

Horning in on my sleep

February 3, 2003

Dear Sir,

There's a new craze in the local noise pollution scene. Ever since the acquisition of Bermuda's two shiny fast ferries, the hard working ferry captains are playing with their horns earlier and earlier each day! The novelty has obviously not worn off yet. This bright Monday morning, the first blasts came through loud and clear at 6.12 am.

There's no doubt we all like to blow our own horns but is there any chance you guys might be willing to wait till, say... 7 a.m., to start tooting yours?

KIM MARSH

Pembroke

Enough of Bascome

January 29, 2003

Dear Sir,

What will it take for Minister Nelson Bascome to do the right thing and step down, or for the Premier to replace him.

He has dropped the ball on housing and drugs, two very important pillars of his portfolio. How many times one is allowed to "mess up". Three times?

KEEN OBSERVER

Devonshire

An outing with class

February 4, 2003

Dear Sir,

Our class recently had the chance to go on a field trip to Outward Bound. We left Hamilton for St. George's town square. Once there, we caught a boat that ferried us over to Paget Island.

As we got off the boat we were greeted by Mark and Ben who were our guides and instructors for the day. They gave us some options as for what we wanted to do. We all went canoeing. We played games like 'canoe tag' and 'canoe-football', which were awesome.

After this we ate lunch and went to the high wires. There were 50-foot telephone poles in the ground which we had to climb and then do various tasks while at the top. We were all secured with a harness while walking across the wires and ropes, from pole to pole.

It was a great day and we wanted to say thank you to Mark and Ben and everybody who make Outward Bound possible.

MS DUNN

Dellwood Middle School

Dolphin Quest dimensions

February 7, 2003

Dear Sir,

Thursday's edition included an article written by one of my students in the Young Observer section. The article described a trip to Dolphin Quest to learn about ultrasound. The caption underneath one of the pictures read, "X-ray specs: Dolphin Quest show students a 3D image of a dolphin".

As a physics teacher, I would like to point out to any students reading the caption that x-rays have absolutely nothing to do with ultrasound. Also, Dolphin Quest do not have a 3D ultrasound scanner; the students were shown a 2D image.

NICK WIFFEN

Saltus Grammar School