Dear Sir,

The Charles Dickens story A Tale of Two Cities was indeed a story depicting one city in absolute turmoil and the other in relative peace. Bermuda has its two proverbial cities also and, like the Dickens story, it’s about a life of normalcy and prosperity on one side, and a life of malfunction and poverty on the other.

We live under the ethos of trickle-down economic theory from a business model ostensibly represented by international business, which is good for Bermuda but does not effectively reach everyone.

No, it doesn’t work and, even during the best of times, truthfully never worked — only adding to the increasing wealth gap between the haves and have-nots.

What is more disturbing is when the ministry that is the vanguard responsible for the growth and overall health of the economy is wedded to the business model that cannot reach all.

Bermuda in its depressed state has many issues and it’s difficult to think of social progress when there is no money around to solve or at times even address social issues.

I am a firm believer that solutions come out of problems and oft times it is allowing the creativeness that comes from the problem areas to gain expression that brings resolution. Denying creative expression or ideas of opportunity from the beleaguered is repression.

For a ministry or minister to uphold the virtue of international business and tourism as staples of our economy is OK, but that becomes a form of narcissism when they build a Donald Trump-type wall around our reefs to prevent any other form of business entering.

Here is the crunch. It’s no secret that the black community is commercially the weakest segment. Therefore, it is only logical that they would need a firm handle on a significant instrument in the economy to recover from the position of weakness and offset all of its attendant ills.

Trying to gain access in a controlled market isn’t going to happen; nor is anyone going to give up what they have to facilitate, so why not build or allow something new, which does not take from anyone, but adds to the overall economy.

If a ministry or minister refuses this option, then those who are akin to the equation, such as the outspoken Leah Scott and Shawn Crockwell, need to gather all those who have testicular fortitude to overturn those who prevent their community from experiencing even the possibility of a growth opportunity.

What is the planning department, with all of its instruments, there for? Is it not capable of vetting projects? If not, why not? Also the Parliament? Doesn’t the Monetary Authority test the validity of money and investors? How does a minister become the lord over what can and cannot happen for the country.

This is no joke or laughing matter, no matter what anyone’s thoughts of me are. After the 1977 Dockyard plan, then the 1980s North Hamilton ideas, I have once again presented a $2 billion venture, which will earn hundreds of millions of new foreign currency annually.

Having this kind of stake in our community will over the many years revitalise the beleaguered community, who can then look ahead 30 to 40 years and see a different and positive future. The industry already understands our relevance to the world of cargo shipment. We need to.

KHALID WASI