At the first of three Progressive Labour Party (PLP) public meetings about Independence, Housing Minister Sen. David Burch said last night he thought the ?boogeyman? of 1998 ? fear that his party?s policies will lead to white flight ? had been killed.

Sen. Burch said the same people who predicted doom and gloom had resurrected the ?boogeyman? for the Independence debate and are ?terrified at the prospect of having to operate on a level playing field? he told the audience at the St. Paul AME Church hall.

Premier Alex Scott and most of his Cabinet and PLP Senators attended. At the end of the meeting at St. Paul?s A.M.E. Church on Court Street, Premier Scott said he hoped the public came out in greater numbers at the next meeting on June 1 at Spice Valley.

The majority of questions fielded by the four strong panel concerned possible travel restrictions.

He added: ?The very same people who claimed if the PLP won they would leave Bermuda, they are still here and are now saying if Bermuda goes Independent they will leave Bermuda. I say, why wait go !?

Sen. Burch said the maturity of the independence debate had grown in the last months. ?Does this translate into an anti-foreign, or anti-white stance? Of course not! What it is is a pro-Bermudian stance,? Sen. Burch said.

During his lifetime the community was convinced that Independence was the worst thing it could aspire to, he said. ?In fact the then-Government party was so successful in demonising the ?I-word? that people were afraid to even utter it out loud.

?There is a reason some Bermudians feel superior to our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean. For so long we were told, ?You?re better off than those Jamaicans or those Bahamians?.

?The term ?better off? however, only referred to material things. Because at the time Bermudians were not equal partners in the success that is Bermuda.?

Finance Minister Paula Cox outlined the costs of Independence. ?There is always a price for a prize. Ultimately it will be for the people of Bermuda to consider and decide if they are prepared to pay the price,? Ms Cox said.

?Specifically I am talking about and taking account of foreign representative offices by way of embassies or consulates or the use of honorary consuls and membership to various international organisations. You will see from the Bermuda Independence Commission (BIC) report such costs are estimated to be in the range of a high estimate of $5.3 million to $14 million.?

Based on average GDP figures and current UN scale assessments Bermuda if it chose Independence could expect its annual contributions to the UN to be in the region of 0.012 percent of the total UN Budget.

?Bermuda?s portion for regular and peacekeeping budgets would be approximately $200,000 and $350,000 respectively.?

As a result, the total estimated cost of UN membership was $500,000, Ms Cox said and when coupled with membership to ten other international organisations ? roughly $450,00 the total was $1 million.

?On a conservative estimate Bermuda could allocate $10 million for a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade,? she said. ?It is in no ones interests for Bermuda to fail.?

BIC Reports were being handed out, as well as the PLP submission to BIC, and two PLP leaflets ? ?Burying the Myths of Independence? and ?Some Facts You Should Know?.

Former BIC Commissioner Rolfe Commissiong spoke about .

?The report is a valuable tool. I do believe in years to come, not withstanding the critics, the report will be viewed as a historic document of the highest order,? Mr. Commissiong said. ?Despite this the opponents and their hired hands would have you believe otherwise.

?These are those who would have you believe for example that the sky is falling rather than remaining fixed firmly in the firmament above us as it has for millions of years.?

Referring the section in the BIC report that dealt with ?Myths & Misconceptions? he said a common myth was that the economy would change after independence. However, Mr. Commissiong said since the topic of independence had first been broached in 2003-2005, 17 major new insurance companies had started business in Bermuda ? 12 in 2005 alone.

?To this day not one company has indicated in response to this issue that they have decided to pull up stakes and seek greener pastures elsewhere,? he said. ?Clearly then it appears foreign capital has more confidence in Bermuda than we have in ourselves.?