No arrogance or ego

April 17, 2004

Dear Sir:

Mr. Tony Blair, Prime Minister of Great Britain - one of the most important countries in the world - was in Bermuda with his family for an Easter holiday. I watched Mr. Blair on television and listened carefully to every word he said. At no time did I ever detect any trace of arrogance or ego. I hope other Bermudians noticed this as well.

M.W.

Warwick

The vision thing

April 13, 2004

Dear Sir,

The tax recommendations recently made to Government seem to indicate a raise in taxes. I am not a businessman but isn't that inflationary? Aren't prices high enough?

One of the recommendations is a higher tax on undeveloped land. In other countries like the US this has meant that owners are compelled to develop the land. Whatever green is left will have to go if owners have to pay taxes in an increasingly hot-priced environment. I'm sorry, remind me - are we still a tourist destination?

It is true that other countries have a high tax as a percentage of GNP but there are benefits. Are we going to get more of what we have been getting if we pay more taxes? One of the good things about the UBP was, complain as you might, at least they were kind of cheap. And fiscally sound. Maybe the PLP could work on value for money. It's not something Bermudians are used to in government but I am sure we would get to like it once we tried it.

Again - remind me - because I am getting old and can't keep up - were we trying to be a financial services economy that was a competitive tax sovereignty? With a competent infrastructure and decent education for those less fortunate so that they won't go disturbing the peaceful and efficient process of making money? Do higher taxes make Bermuda more competitive? Will the new taxes be part of a clear vision by the PLP that they can actually articulate at election time in a document called a policy statement? Is there a policy or vision? Or is the PLP just reacting to whatever threats turn up?

Shall we ride into the next election thinking Independence is the only issue we are voting on and vote accordingly for any gang who happens to support the version of nationality we support?

To all the disillusioned PLP voters out there: Remember, they didn't think you needed a policy statement published in time for you to consider it before voting. Not that the alternative was that interesting - just saying.

JOHN ZUILL

Pembroke

No hate from here

April 12, 2004

Dear Sir,

In reply to the Nikki Bowers' letter in today's paper, I must say that I take exception to the letter's title, ‘Ignorance breeds hate!'

First and foremost, I do not consider myself ignorant, nor do I hate anyone - so whoever chose the title, seemingly, was sensationalising.

Secondly, it is not my intention to get into a letter feud with Ms Bowers via this media. Ms Bowers is entitled to her opinion, as I am to mine.

And, no, I am not an expert on the Human Rights Act as Ms Bowers would be, but I do know that it is there if ever I should need to consult it. What I was trying to point out was the fact that we are “all” entitled to human rights regardless if you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, heterosexual or any other kind of sexual!

As far as gay and lesbian people being fired or not hired and evicted from their homes because of their sexual orientation - what about the straight people who have had the same thing happen to them because of their race, creed or colour, or, because someone just does not like the look of their face?

The world is not fair and we all know it. So again I say, if people are going to be discriminated against you because of race, creed or colour, heaven knows that if you are gay or lesbian you are going to have a harder fight on your hands. People will discriminate, regardless!

Another point I would like to make is that Ms Bowers said I lumped gays and lesbians in with “rapists”, “child molesters”, “husband and wife beaters”, and all of the other “degenerates”, is incorrect. What I said was, and I quote, “I remember when gays were asking for ‘gay rights', and in my estimation, there is no such thing as “gay rights” - just as there are no “rapist rights”, “child molesters'”, etc. There are only human rights! End quote.

The above are all “so-called individual categories of special rights” which do not exist. So I hope I have made myself clear.

Ms Bowers makes an assumption (and a wrong one at that) in her closing paragraph. She states she recognises that many of us have been indoctrinated with a fear of gays and lesbians that may translate into a hatred of that which we do not understand. Ms Bowers does not have a clue as to what I understand, and she can rest assured, I have no fear of gays or lesbians, nor do I have any hatred! If Ms Bowers sees fit to answer this letter, she may do so, but I will not be replying.

PAT FERGUSON

Warwick

Wanted: A place to play

April 14, 2004

Dear Sir,

The sweat was dripping from his brow as 14-year-old ‘Jake' hacked away at the over-grown cane grass with his hoe. He greeted me with a very polite ‘good afternoon' and a smile and continued with his hard labour. I surveyed the amazing work of Jake and his peers. They had built a bike track complete with bamboo and dirt jump mounds out of the thick cane and bamboo “jungle”.

I chatted with him about his proud accomplishments. They primarily used it with their pedal and mountain bikes dreaming of the day they would be able to ride a motorbike and “scramble” just like his cousin who also uses the track for his scrambler motocross bike. It was a “wannabe” Coney Island in the making!

The irony of this true story is that they had poured their sweat and enterprise into an Audubon protected nature reserve - Somerset Long Bay. Jake had no idea that what he was doing was wrong as he followed the directions of the older kids on the block.

He just wanted to have a safe place to play on his bike without, I am sure, having to listen to the grumbles of adults who think that our youth are always up to no good! I exchanged phone numbers with Jake and vowed that in my efforts to help protect the nature reserve I would also endeavour to find a safe place where they could build a similar track.

This is my request - can anyone help our Somerset community youth have a place to call home where they can ride their pedal bikes (and perhaps even for those who like to motocross train)? We are so quick to condemn them for riding on the railway trail or on the Naval field ... most of the other open spaces in Sandys are protected as nature reserves/parks - Gilbert and Somerset Long Bay Nature reserves, Fort Scaur, Heydon Trust, Hog Bay Park etc. which are obviously off limits. Can a section of the now closed Daniel's Head land be put to use as was originally requested by the Sandys community?

The US base is too far for 14 year olds to venture on their pedal bikes from Sandys. They need a place close to home where they can “play” after school and on weekends. When we were growing up - going out to play meant enjoying your backyard ... unfortunately, with the housing trend to build apartments instead of gardens, our children do not have “backyards” in which to explore and have fun.

The children are obviously willing to do the work themselves and are not looking for handouts ... but we need a space where they can play without breaking the law or impacting their environment. As adults we need to take some responsibility and stop complaining about the youth on the wall and realise that we have to provide alternatives. It is a bit to far to ride to Coney Island at 3:30 p.m. and be back for supper at 6 p.m.!

If anyone can help, please contact Sundee Faulkner at 337-3993 or 234-3883. Thank you so much for supporting our children's future.

SUNDEE FAULKNER

PO Box MA 12

Sandys MA BX

We deserve better

March 28, 2004

Dear Sir,

The dental profession has recently been crying under the lash of the Immigration Department. The medical profession does so equally often. The churches are getting close to a similar fix.

The problem is, of course, that the Immigration Minister and Board only listen to the medical and dental councils in making their decisions. This is like asking the CEO of Cooper's whether Trimingham's needs a non-Bermudian staff member. The members of the medical council get rich on the number of people sitting for endless hours in their waiting rooms and the waiting rooms of the expat doctors they employ. We are not called patients for nothing. My most recent experience had me waiting for an hour and half past my ‘appointment' time to see the doctor for five minutes. To see a specialist one waits months.

Apart from the incalculable time consumed by this outraged in wasted man-hours, we are not getting the medical and dental care we deserve and can afford. Only Bermudian doctors and dentists profit from this situation - and they profit enormously at the expense of both our health and our pockets.

There is, of course, a simple solution of the kind the BIU likes so much - a strike. If the medical and dental professions refused to treat Cabinet Ministers, members of the Government, and the Immigration Board and its civil servants it wouldn't take too many untreated toothaches or stomach aches before we had enough doctors and dentists to serve the island adequately - and at a price we could afford.

Protectionism, historically, has always driven prices up and quality down. This is what the Immigration laws are doing to Bermuda.

PATIENT

Warwick

Setting record straight

April 14, 2004

Dear Sir,

I recently returned to Bermuda to find my pharmacist colleagues understandably upset by a comment in your newspaper attributed to Mr. Mark Pettingill during his representation of a Canadian pharmacist (practising in Bermuda) who had admitted stealing narcotic drugs from the hospital pharmacy for his personal use. Mr. Pettingill was reported to have said that “problems related to drug use were not uncommon among pharmacists”.

It is unfortunate that Mr. Pettingill sought to ameliorate his client's guilt in this way. In fact, problems related to drug use among pharmacists are uncommon, sadly not unheard of, but uncommon.

The public can rest assured that they are very well served by the pharmacists practising here in Bermuda, who are well aware of the respect and trust accorded to us as important members of the health care team.

Many thanks for allowing me to “set the record straight”!

LYNANNE SHARPE BOLTON

BSc.Pharm. (Dalhousie)