Two men, Tyrone and Bob, are in a lifeboat. Bob suddenly shouts out: “Land! Land! I see land.” Tyrone says: “Where? Where? Where is this land? “Over there to the West. Let’s start paddling,” screams Bob. Two hours later, fully exhausted, they find nothing; turns out it was only a mirage. Frustrated, tired and vexed beyond all limits, Tyrone throws Bob out of the lifeboat.

On November 24, 2015, Michael Dunkley, the Premier, declared that Bermuda’s recession was over.

The One Bermuda Alliance then began a subtle yet overt campaign of claiming that the recovery had begun.

Some months later, let’s take a look at some facts:

On December 30, 2015, a survey commissioned by The Royal Gazette and conducted by Global Research was released revealing that more than 80 per cent of young Bermudians had no confidence in the economy. Recovery? What recovery?

For the year 2015, there were a total of 15 robberies involving a weapon of some sort; a marked increase in armed robberies during 2014. Recovery? What recovery?

On January 4, 2016, the 2015 Labour Force Survey Executive Report reported that at least 413 Bermudians lost jobs in 2015.

In sharp contrast, non-Bermudians’ employment increased by 5 per cent year-over-year with 377 more work permit-holders recorded in 2015. Recovery what recovery?

“The island hosted 76,479 air visitors during the third quarter of 2015, a decline of 2.2 per cent year-over-year. Estimated total expenditure by air visitors declined 12.1 per cent to $94.7 million compared to the same period of 2014.” — Bermuda Government 2015 Q3 report.

Recovery what recovery?

Despite the claims of the Premier and others that the recession is indeed over, many Bermudians are losing hope of having a fair shot of making it in their own country.

They continue to see tax breaks for the rich and powerful while they themselves are forced to pay increases in medical insurance, groceries, banking fees and government taxes.

It seems clear to many that the OBA is attempting to create a political mirage that simply does not exist.

Maybe it is time for somebody to come out of the boat.