November 28, 2004

Dear Sir,

The British Government have permitted referenda for devolution in the United Kingdom and are promising referenda prior to ratification of the new European Community's constitution and also, eventually, even for a substitution of one currency for another.

Recently, Britain has allowed British Dependent Overseas Territory citizens to apply to become full British citizens.

By not agreeing to a referendum on the issue of Independence, the British Government would be applying a less fair method of decision making to one group than to another group of British citizens and this could well be viewed as being discriminatory.

Given this state of affairs, it is hard to understand why the British Government has not proposed a referendum on Independence for Bermuda.

The Progressive Labour Party has always said that it believes in “one man, one vote of equal value” - surely a referendum is the purest form of this principle.

If it is decided to proceed with the issue of Independence, it seems to be only fair that both Governments do the right and democratic thing and insist on a separate referendum on the question of Independence for Bermuda.

BARRY WHALLEY

Pembroke

November 28, 2004

Dear Sir,

Thank you to everyone who attended the tribute Concert for Agape House on August 6 and to everyone who assisted behind the scenes.

Our personal gratitude to the committee members:

Mr. Quinton Edness - Our voice and only male

Mrs. Winifred Richards - Who at Agape House is all things to everyone there.

Mrs. Rhonda Furbert and Ms Shelley Riley - The youth in our little group, but very experienced.

Mrs. Wilma Frith - Speaking of experience, controlled the box office independently, with her staff.

Mrs. Jane Bermingham - chairwoman of Friends of Hospice, for allowing us to choose her board as patrons.

To Agape staff - For their patience, assistance and ticket sales at the Hospice.

To Corey Butterfield and all the artists who so freely gave of their time, my sincere thank you to each and everyone of you.

Lastly - To Lucinda Stowe, who was the catalyst behind this successful programme, which would never have been possible without her.

P.s.Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.

November 18, 2004

Dear Sir,

Why is the Premier so bent on Independence? We don't export anything. All he has to do is look at other islands, does he think if we have another “disaster” like Fabian we can call on some one to help us? His head is in the “clouds”. We would, lose some “American firms”. (He just wants the glory of becoming the Premier who did it).

LYNETTE RICE

Pembroke

November 25, 2004

Dear Sir,

As a guest in this country, I am saddened to read that the ABIC infuriates Bermudians so much. No company or association should intimidate locals to that extent.

The ABIC has a duty, as does the Government, to ensure smooth relations between various ‘groups' on the Island. No one living here, local or otherwise, should feel they have been pigeon-holed into an exclusive grouping. As a recent arrival on the Island, I would like to reject any labelling, but perhaps I am na?ve.

Any animosity between either camp seems to stem from disagreement as to the point at which the costs of having international business on the Island start to outweigh the benefits. Guest workers arrogantly think that the Island would crumble without them, citing real estate deflation as a starting point.

They may indeed have a point, the older locals would be hit, but then perhaps their offspring would benefit? Locals perhaps underestimate the reliance of the job market on the international business sector; the Government does not seem to be hitting the right buttons when it comes to rejuvenating the tourism sector as a second significant employer.

Would those locals currently enjoying a challenging career in insurance or accounting really be happy to move to working in a hotel? Perhaps not, you may lose your more talented youth.

But my main point, apart from a message of conciliation, is that all residents alike should use the knowledge of those that have worked abroad more effectively. You have people from dozens of different places living here; you should be able to make it work in your favour.

Those of us fresh (or rather weary) from London could give you valuable insight into how to keep a city moving.

Dr. Brown should not be looking to add new legislation until he is fully utilising his present artillery. He should be enforcing the speed limit, enforcing the restriction on under 18s having 50cc bikes, painting double-yellow lines on key routes, beefing up the ferry schedule to take the weight off the roads (run later, cheaper, more frequently) and increase parking costs in Hamilton to dissuade people from driving in. He should be working with other Government departments to promote out of town office space. My office doesn't have to be in Hamilton, so why can't I find space anywhere else?

If the Mayor of London can learn from the mistakes of New York, surely it is worth Bermuda taking advantage of the wealth of foreign knowledge already on the Island. Guest workers here should be contributing to society outside the 9-5. The trick is whether Bermuda can handle that process so the locals feel they are getting value and not being told how to run their country.

A GUEST IN BERMUDA

Warwick

November 19, 2004

Dear Sir,

With great interest, Mr. Editor, I Iistened to the Hon. Renee Webb, PLP backbencher, and Scott Simmons, party spokesman, talk about their views on “welcoming” whites into the ranks of the Progressive Labour Party.

Has this party gone mad? Is it the end of days like so many of the callers to the radio talk shows are talking about? Maybe not, let's think about it.

With our Premier (/'prem- a. first in importance or order of time. - n. Prime Minister. n.) Alex Scott, hobnobbing and socially engineering his Independence stance in London to mostly those same whites, a few members are also getting the ball rolling here. We must make it look like there is an across the board participation and hopefully broader spectrum of voters black and white that will make up the future PLP and forward the momentum on Independence.

To the more entrenched hierarchy this sounds off warning bells, especially when the main theme of our last election was “not to vote your way back to the plantation”. Ironic isn't it.

The same whites that we were cruelly lambasted with verbal innuendoes to increase the black voter conscious vote are now going to be warmly welcomed only a few years after that “Historic” election. Very interesting.

David Burch once said: “The idea of a new United Bermuda Party sounds to me like the new Clayhouse Inn. You've got a big sign on it but when you went inside nothing had changed.”

Well, I'm sure the honourable Alex Scott is busy painting away his newer version of that sign and of course his followers will be applying all the colours of the rainbow ... ever looked at a rainbow, Bermuda?

ANDREW SCAIFE

Smith's Parish

December 2, 2004

Dear Sir,

Why do people want to make money out of the poor animal population? We have had the recent outcry about the greyhound racing and once the dogs have outlived their racing days and the owners have made big bucks from the racetrack, the dogs are thrown out on the rubbish heap.

We now have our own outcry with the start up of yet another pending dolphin site on the South Shore. The human race never learns by its mistakes. Is it not enough to look at the damage caused along the South Shore by the past hurricanes to put these people off endangering the lives of the dolphins? It may sound OK to say the dolphins will be moved when a hurricane is approaching but some of these hurricanes have a way of creeping in overnight and it will be too late to move the dolphins. On the other hand who wants to live in a pool with all the sand and grit around the SAL site? It would be one holy sandstorm for the poor dolphins.

Several properties along the South Shore opposite the proposed development at Sinky Bay have easements of way down to the waters of Sinky Bay. Have these owners given up their right to use the Sinky Bay waters? I think not. Although the easement may not have been used, it is still there and has never been abandoned by any persons who legally have the right to use it for access to Sinky Bay waters. I hope the Planning Department know what an easement of way is and that this project should be shelved for 999 years.