PLP's accomplishments

July 15, 2003

Dear Sir,

Complainers about the PLP either forget, take for granted or are simply unaware of some of the little things that the PLP government have done in their first four years as leaders of the island.

We have Fresh TV, two new home grown Bermudian Supreme Court Judges, one man one vote of equal value in single seat constituencies, twice a week garbage collection and reduced class sizes in primary classes 1-3. Remember how thankful and relieved we were? These are the little things, Mr. Editor, and it is the little things that matter in our daily lives.

These are the type of little things that have changed during the PLP's first four years as leaders. To provide a bank for the people, news media for the people, fair insurance for the people, businesses for the people, housing for the people or a just legal system for the people, Mr. Editor will take longer than four years.

Give the PLP time. Support the PLP to accomplish the larger things in life.

DR. AMENDMHET TAMERRY

Pembroke

End the divisions

July 20, 2003

Dear Sir,

May I heartily endorse Stephen Notman's erudite and thoughtful comparisons between the two major political parties, and their ability to fairly represent Bermudians of all colours (July 19).

Until we are able to move on from the past, we shall continue to squander our most valuable resource - Bermuda's people. We can only realise our full potential when we are united - divided, we waste energy senselessly battling each other in a war of attrition.

May I also commend Stephen for having the courage to use his own name.

VIVIEN COUNSELL

Smith's Parish

Independence is the issue

July 13, 2003

Dear Sir,

Soon those of us not taking the conventional summer holiday of the middle class on cooler shores will be fanning ourselves outside the polling stations. That the timing of this election is a cynical attempt to garner advantage from the effect of pre-planned and prepaid holiday absence of the aforementioned voting group goes without saying.

What must however be said, is that far from “being about nothing” (Bermuda Sun) this election is indeed about everything. It is about one thing, and one thing only: the ever-abiding subject of Independence. Both parties are throwing out as many diversions as possible, but after all the usual pandering and cajoling in my humble opinion it boils down to the following:

The PLP have made it very clear in all of their past utterances on the subject, that they would move to Independence by an act of Parliament. We can judge them by their word and their approach to creating new voting constituencies. The UBP would only do so by referendum. There we have it.

The ‘New' UBP can only be judged by the ‘Old' one, which means that they would indeed put the vote to the people in the form of another referendum. (The outcome - we all know, and so does the ever-shrinking PLP leadership would support the current status quo, because as every shrewd Bermudians knows, no one can be trusted with unchecked access to power, the judiciary, the police and the army.) As for the rest, we shall hope they are able to live up to their many good ideas and promises.

The PLP is the same old PLP, without some of the same old diehards, because they have either died or retired - except for Aurelia Burch, who has done neither, it would seem. Some of the candidates - two pivotal power brokers - are in manifestly poor health, but notwithstanding we are obliged to judge the PLP on their track record of the past years at the helm:

Unfortunately it can be summed up in the observation that they have regarded this exquisite, unique and successful Island as one gigantic feeding trough, to be gorged on by their own from one end of the other, indeed to beyond satiation, resulting in the socially unacceptable side effects of over indulgence.

With any luck Bermuda will survive all this once again. Who knows, the GLP could hold the balance of power.

WORKHORSE

St. George's

Swing voter no more

July 16, 2003

Dear Sir,

I am a reasonably well-educated senior citizen who, last election, decided that I would give the PLP my vote to give them the opportunity to show me what they could do for the people. What a mistake I made! I have kept a careful record of their activities, and here are just a few with which I take issue.

The ludicrous amount of travelling done by the previous Tourism Minister, all first class and five star no doubt at our expense. The last straw was the insurance fiasco when he became sick, having refused to become a member earlier, when he was offered the opportunity.

The way in which the Premier elevated her aide, Lt. Col. Burch to the prestigious positions of being in charge of the Bermuda Housing Corporation, to sort out the chaos in that Department, and also, lo and behold, to be leader of the Senate! Added to this, I gather that he also acts as aide to the Premier still, travelling with her first class etc. at our expense. How can any of the above be justified?

Remember, the salary hike this Government gave themselves, justified, we were told, by a loophole in the laws concerned. Also, I understand that, in addition to a generous daily travel allowance, the PLP also carry with them Credit Cards issued by the Government.

Remember the importation of the large illegal cars imported for members of the PLP to ride around in?

Remember how the most deserving and knowledgeable and hard-working Dale Butler was overlooked for the post of Tourism Minister. Instead the autocratic Premier decided to give a second portfolio to her friend, Renee Webb.

Finally, I have to mention the hopelessly mismanaged Berkeley Project which is an utter disgrace, as is the fact that the Premier refuses to let us know what is in the much-discussed Auditor's report before the election. Where is the promised openness and transparency they promised us, the public?

NO LONGER A SWINGER!

Smith's Parish

Bar has been lowered

July 17, 2003

Dear Sir,

I listen to the radio talk shows sometimes. The same people spew out the same PLP rhetoric on all the shows daily.

One lady said that UBP are deceitful. That word took on a new meaning over the past five years. It was announced that the women in public life conference was sold out (Jessie Jackson was coming!); well, to bring the numbers up, they resorted to giving tickets to civil servants to attend.

The current life skills survey is not going at all well, so civil servants are being surveyed - that will certainly skew the outcome.

Here we are, a week away from Election Day and the Registrar is calling on civil servants because they do not have enough Returning Officers, and we are supposed to be ready for the General Election.

We have become so callous that wrong is right and fully acceptable. The bar has been lowered and anything goes. God help us.

KEEN OBSERVER

Devonshire

Nothing new about UBP

July 2, 2003

Dear Sir,

I've been trying to stay away from this election campaign, but when I turn on my TV, I hear; “A new United Bermuda Party”, and when I open the newspaper I am confronted with it again, “A new United Bermuda Party”. We are being bombarded by it. Mr. Editor, may I say to Bermuda that there is no such thing as “A new United Bermuda Party”. It is simply not the truth.

Sir, I would ask of Dr. Gibbons if he would outline to this country what his so-called old United Bermuda Party was like, and to also outline to us what his so-called new United Bermuda Party is like. By doing so we will be able to see the difference, but it would be a good thing for him to spell out what the difference is. Until he does so, I would suggest to Bermuda to treat it as propaganda, and that every time they hear it on TV or on radio, or see it in the Newspapers, to reply with: “That's propaganda”. “A new United Bermuda Party” should be one of the first things to tell people - Beware and to shy away, and not to buy into it. I believe that the country has seen through that smoke-screen. There is an old proverb which says: “When you get your hand out of the lion's mouth, do not stick your head in.”

The United Bermuda Party has a track record of preferring foreigners over Bermudians, and especially, black Bermudians. A vote for the United Bermuda Party is a vote for foreign domination both in the workplace and in government. We all have read of the sorry situation at St. Mark's Church, and now at St. Paul's in Paget. That is the kind of thing that flourished almost unhindered under the UBP government. Foreigners are preferred above Bermudians, black Bermudians stand very little chance, and often enough, no chance when white foreigners are available of which they always are, and it is not for lack of qualifications on part of the Bermudians.

Thanks to the foreign investors but this should not amount to Bermudians becoming second-class and third-class citizens. Some foreigners are here because of their expertise, but is it not true that many are here for you now what. I stand to be corrected.

When I listen to Ms Rawlins, Mr. Simmons, Mr. Pettingill and even Mr. Dunkley - they all come up with a PLP agenda. Let me ask. Can the UBP deliver a PLP agenda? By the way something has just come to mind. This might be the thing that makes the UBP, a new UBP. It is a UBP with a PLP agenda. Now I ask, why vote a UBP with a PLP agenda? We might as well keep the PLP. They will do better with a PLP agenda.

RENDOLL JAMES

Sandys Parish