September 10, 2012Dear Sir,Perhaps this is a good time to revisit the history of the UBP.One could easily be misled into believing this administration was nothing but an experiment in abject failure for 30 years. Any association with the UBP is now viewed with contempt and disdain. To hear some tell it, the only beneficiaries of their watch were the white elite. The commentary is that they governed only for the privileged and rich while being devoid of any social conscience whatsoever!This strategy is aimed at discrediting the OBA and painting them as the hated UBP recycled. To be sure, the UBP were not paragons of virtue or choirboys, but neither were they ogres and corrupt criminals who raped and pillaged the public purse!From 1968 to 1992 they managed the economic affairs of this country with virtually no public debt. Balanced budgets: Now there’s a novel thought, with capital projects in their wake such as Tynes Bay, the Bus Terminal, Post Office, the Government Administration Building, East Broadway and CedarBridge, the purchase of Global House, to name just a few. Under the watch of the UBP we now have the Housing Corporation, Rental Assistance, Financial Assistance and the provision of hundreds of housing units spread across Bermuda.How then can it fairly be said the UBP did nothing except to serve themselves and their cronies when they presided over full employment. Some in this community appear to suffer from selective amnesia when it comes to the period of prosperity and abundant employment under the UBP.Do we not remember the economic miracle that was built by talented and professional Bermudians? Did we not enjoy double and triple employment, purchasing homes, cars, boats and educating our children with the ability to pay for it?After 14 years of PLP administrations, your readers can be the judge while they suffer the indignity of no jobs. The PLP romped to victory 26 to 14 in a 40-seat Parliament and then had the right and expectation to perform better than the 160 million debt and 50 million surplus they inherited! We know how that has panned out.Wait a minute. This is supposed to be about the end of the UBP and good riddance to a period we all need to forget, you think?So what do we now have? The best of the UBP now in both parties and most notably the Government with UBP luminaries in the forward direction of tourism being placed with grandiose confidence!Now that we know that the UBP governed this country vastly differently from what has become the norm, we may be able to be more objective and not be persuaded by utter foolishness and falsehoods.So the OBA has been able to cash in on the wealth of former UBP talent, seasoned, careful and wise planning. What could be a more beneficial for all Bermudians?We stand at a crossroads in our development with the present government clearly out of its depth. Why on earth would we want slavish loyalty to failure? They said give us a chance, we did and the results are obvious.Stand up, family, have courage and vote them out for the survival of this wonderful country. Vote for the OBA.WAYNE B SCOTTSmith’s