Either naive or optimistic

April 16, 2009

Dear Sir,

Michael McManus' piece supporting (George W.) Bush's ban on stem cell research was thought provoking. However well meaning he might have thought he was, to me he is either extremely naive or overly optimistic. His stance that Bush was motivated by morality is in my opinion, dead wrong.

What he is motivated by is spelt with an 'M' but it's not morality, it's money! Running off to church now and again and pandering to the religious right does not qualify anyone as moral. Religion is as much (or more) about control as salvation i.e. The Shroud of Turin. You don't mess with Leonardo da Vinci!

If as a result of stem cell research, many diseases can be cured; or even prenatally prevented, the world's overall health will improve dramatically. That is something the pharmaceutical industry does not want to happen. Any spin put on any rebuttal to this statement will be only just that; spin. The obscene cost of medication is in part, one of the indicators of a system wildly out of control. Having a well greased politician out in front to take the flak don't hurt either, certainly affordable for them and with untold dividends as the result.

From what I've been made to understand, stem cells can adapt/morph into any other type of specialised cell. Embryos are a good, but not the only, source however and the position that embryos are sacrosanct is narrow-minded to the extreme. Before I'm branded as an anarchist or atheist, (both untrue) allow me to elaborate. Medically, legally aborted embryos abound! There will be no need to deliberately create them for research. It is true that oversight will have to be a prime consideration, but certainly not unattainable.

Human thinking tends toward the sanctity of human life, even in its earliest stages but that's almost a joke because we still make war on full-blown sentient adult combatants (not to mention innocent civilians.) Tell me the last time an embryo sat down with anyone and had a conversation! What's more amazing is that the countries responsible for most wars, (for their own selfish interests) are the same ones tooting their horns over the sanctity of human life; good grief, give it a rest!

I would like to see the time when the cure for all our major deceases and the harnessing of fusion will come from a third world country; Heaven forbid 'Merck' should ever discover them, I shudder to think. Providing that kind of technology to the entire world free, will blow those greedy miscreants away; for good.

C.K. SIMONS

Sandys

A clarification

April 8, 2009

Dear Sir,

My name is Andrew Phillips and I am the CEO of Global Arts Entertainment which is the parent company of Youth News.com. Certain points of the front page article written in The Royal Gazette dated March 30, need to be clarified and corrected. The article stated that Tourism spent $49,000 to bring Dr. Maki Mandela, daughter of world leader Nelson Mandela, to Bermuda. This is a misleading statement. The Ministry of Tourism participated as a co-title sponsor in the Youth News Global Rain Water project. The project included the construction of a Global Water Catch and Renewable Energy Headquarters/exhibit at CedarBridge.

The key component of this project is that the system would be powered by a renewable energy unit. In addition, the project included a youth conference that was held at XL Insurance. The topic was to make CedarBridge Green by way of renewable energy. As part of the project, Youth News students would travel to South Africa to build a renewable energy water catch in Nelson Mandela's hometown.

Due to the fact that Dr. Mandela was coming to Bermuda as Global Arts' guest, we produced two DVDs featuring Dr. Mandela for the Ministry. The DVDs' were aired on ZBM TV9 and at the 2009 Bermuda Tourism ADHT conference held at the Fairmont Southampton Princess Hotel.

Subsequently on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism, the Premier agreed to assist in the funding of the construction of the water project adjacent to the CedarBridge premises. To the delight of Global Arts Board and 1,000 Youth News students, the Premier then followed this promise up in writing.

You can now clearly see the $49,000 was not used to bring in Dr. Mandela. It was an initial sponsorship cost for the youth's water catch project and production costs for the ADHT DVD's. Hence the big "Feel the Love" logo on the side of the catch's design.

Global Arts, Dr. Mandela, CedarBridge Board of Directors, our sponsors and the Youth News students have united with the Bermuda College to complete this project. We (the above-mentioned) would like to thank the Premier and the Bermuda Ministry of Tourism for all of their support.

We have since forwarded our documentation of the Premier's commitment to Tourism and eagerly await the funds.

ANDREW PHILLIPS

Global Arts Entertainment

P.s. We also presented the Youth's finished proposal to take CedarBridge Green by way of renewable energy to Minister Terry Lister. Minister Lister was also at The US Consul General Gregory Slayton's reception for Dr. Maki Mandela.

We're in a new age

April 23, 2009

Dear Sir,

I followed with interest the "tug of war" on casinos in Bermuda and the findings of the consultant group. Living on an island, Puerto Rico, where Casinos are established in about every major hotel, it gives me some insight on the effect of it on tourism. Our hotel, The Horned Dorset Primavera, has no casino but every so often we have clients who asked for it and go to one of the larger neighbouring hotels to enjoy a little "gambling".

We are a quiet hotel, but there is an alternative available for guests looking for some entertainment (that is what it is) as they all have rooms attached for dancing and one can see some amazing Salsa or Meringue dancing by local people of all ages.

The old model of tourism has changed in the world since September 11, 2001, when a new order emerged and new resorts and amenities popped up all over the place and the traditional vacation places had to adapt or suffer.

Any way one looks at it, we are in a new age of tourism. Amenities like spas, yoga, health and casinos, just to mention a few, are amenities guests and groups look for to make their final decision where to spend their vacation and sacred "money".

Casinos are just another important amenity for a certain segment of travellers, however it does not mean it will save an ailing tourism industry in Bermuda or any other part of the world trying to overcome a drop in visitors. For this island, casino/gambling revenue is of vital importance as a big part of the net profit goes to the tourism company being used for marketing and education of the work force and without it, it would be impossible to maintain the marketing budget of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, one of the larger ones in the Caribbean.

I have to go to meetings often to one of the larger hotels and it surprises me every time to see at 11 a.m. (opening of the Casinos) a group of local seniors waiting to play the slot machines. Call it entertainment or wasting pension money, however, it is all part of it. For Bermuda, I would say. . go for it ... the old model of Tourism does not work any more, look at it as entertainment for the visitors and a good source of revenue for all concerned, however keep in mind, it is not the answer for all the tourism problems, there is more to it. Casinos are just an additional amenity.

WILHELM SACK

The Horned Dorset Primavera Hotel

Rincon, Puerto Rico

A few glitches with P3

April 20, 2009

Dear Sir,

I just had to respond to this Public/Private Partnership (P3) pandemic. Those who advocate this particular mode of project delivery neglect to mention a few glitches that I think the public needs to know:

¦ When you get a consortium of financiers, architects, engineers, contractor, etc to put together a proposal to undertake such a massive project architectural innovation is completely tossed out the window. These people are there to deliver a bare-bones project at the minimum cost so they can maximise their profits. Period. What's wrong with running a competition where architects submit various ingenious designs and the Board picks one?

¦ P3 models have proven very bureaucratic. Here in British Columbia an independent study has proven that P3s are costly and inefficient. For example, on the proposed bridge in Vancouver costs would soar by more than $800m compared with normal tendering process.

¦ If someone designs and owns your building for 30 years isn't it logical that after the 30 years all you are inheriting is a building that is technologically out of synch and outdated? The Sick Children's Hospital here in Vancouver is an example. The project is only 25 years and it's going to be replaced with a new one. Why? Because in the world of health care delivery technology moves fast and models change.

¦ The only reason governments are so drunk on this P3 madness is simple. Tell people the books look great (after all it's cheaper to pay a monthly mortgage than come up with millions needed to construct a hospital). At the end of the fiscal year the books may look great but are you really getting value for money?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Prince George,

British Columbia