Making second-class citizens
September 18, 2012Dear Sir,In today’s Editorial on Sir John Swan and Larry Burchall’s economic forum regarding term limits, only one point seems to have been missed. While the major reason for enacting term limits was to reduce the length of time that work permit holders resided on the Island (thereby avoiding giving out Bermuda Status); there was another major reason. That reason was associated with the huge impact on the environment, housing and infrastructure that was a result of International Business. Remember, back in the early 90s, many Bermudians were employed in the hotels whereas with IB it continued to grow as tourism shrunk, but it brought imported labour. More cars on the road, more trash for Tynes Bay, more sewage in the ocean, noise pollution, soaring house prices and the commencement of the concrete jungle that is now the City of Hamilton.Term limits are not necessarily a bad thing; it is how they are currently implemented that is bad. As far as permanent residency, well this is a discriminatory practice that has introduced a second class group of citizens in the country. For the children that are born in Bermuda to PR holders, they inherit this second class citizenship forever, and I think this is immoral.CHERYL POOLEYDevonshire
32n65w: Bermuda has killed the goose that laid the golden egg. They wanted rid of expats and now they have got what they wanted. Unfortunately they didn’t realise that expats being here creates numerous jobs for locals. The company I work for had 50 people two years ago, now down to 25 and not a single job loss made the news. They all left because they felt they had no future here and or their permits expired.
Betty Trump: IB as we knew it as fundamentally changed and what worked previously will not work in the future. If we build it, they may not come.
