February 12, 2005

Dear Sir,

It was no surprise to read about David Burch's attitude toward Independence. So, Col. Burch, any opposition to independence is "bordering on racist"? What a great way to encourage a national discussion!

It is in fact you who have "rendered yourself devoid of logical thought about Bermuda's future". Independence is pointless. There is no logical or sensible reason to want Independence.

There are, however, numerous excellent reasons for opposing Independence even besides the obvious ones of financial cost, economic stability, national security, and safe international travel. For example, we are recognised by international business people and savvy travellers as being a part of the world's wealthiest nations, the Group of Seven industrialised nations ? Canada, the US, the UK, France, Germany, Japan, and Italy. With our participation ? our membership ? in this group, Bermuda has a reputation and tradition of prosperity, stability, and integrity that we simply could not have as merely a tiny unconnected dot in the Atlantic Ocean.

We benefit enormously from our link to Britain. We are on the taking, not the giving, side of the connection. It would be stupid to cut off the hand that has fed us for 400 years.

Please don't play the race card with this issue. Race has nothing to do with it. Your unsubtle references to race are red herrings, attempts to divert attention from the very important issues that face us all.

If you truly cared about Bermuda, you would focus on the problems of crime, drugs, children, the elderly, housing, and education. You should be addressing such matters as young black male violence, completing the new bus depot, and the strengthening of family values.

Finally, you were quoted as saying that "foreigners" should "butt outthis has nothing to do with you." You are wrong. You forget that "foreigners" are our bread and butter. Bermuda depends on them, needs them, and, yes, needs their input. We need all the help we can get.

February 14, 2005

Dear Sir,

Your recent article on financial reporting by charities got everyone bent out of shape, which is great for sales no doubt. Your reporter however overlooked the other end of the reporting, that is to enquire what happens to the report when it hits the desks in the Government Administration Building.

The fact would appear to be that the received reports are not well recorded or archived in the administration that is responsible for the reports. The fact appears firm that the Charity Commissioners acknowledge the receipt of the reports, so the sender has no idea of whether or not the report was received, unless notified by your paper.

So if you want to help to correct this situation, call for sacking the Charity Commissioners for a start, instead of proclaiming the often stressed out charity people to be guilty of non-filing. Do the Commissioners do anything at all of any value?

Mind you, given the great number of examples of companies that do not file or pay their Employment Tax or Government Pension and get away with that, some charities may take the view that such filing on their part is a waste of time. And now we have the example of the Bermuda Industrial Union that is five years behind in its filings. Although in accord with the law, the charities may take the view that this is unnecessary government bureaucracy, since no one acknowledges the reports, which are used by no one in particular it seems.

In this day and age, the reports should be able to be filed on the Internet and the Charity Commissioners should post them on a website, so everyone can see that they are present and accounted for, so to speak.

Charity begins at home, as the old saying goes. So when are we going to start to do ourselves some favours and get rid of unnecessary government controls and petty accounting of all types?

February 8, 2005

Dear Sir,

I am curious that there may be a missing shipping container of surface parcel mail, as I am waiting on the delivery of a few parcels that were mailed to me from various US locations during the space of one week in July, 2004. All six are still "missing".

I will get laughed at (by the Post Office) when I have to explain the parcels were sent surface from the US, but then, any parcel is so scrutinised these days, one wonders how any can become "lost"- whether sent air or surface?

It is interesting that just last week (February 3) I received some airmail that was mailed from Canada in October ? it was a Christmas card, "mis-sent" to Barbados, obviously by a geographically challenged individual in the US or Canadian Postal Systems.

Not long after, I received a magazine that was also mailed out in October from the US ? with no note of being "mis-sent" anywhere. I would almost suspect that a container of surface parcels was also "mis-sent" to the Caribbean ? probably by another geographically challenged individual, and possibly destroyed in all the damage sustained in that area from the hurricanes of 2004.

Lets face it, in today's world, a "missing" parcel is a security risk (I am "missing" six) ? unless it is known as to how the parcel has become "lost"! Does the Postmaster have anything to tell us?

February 9, 2005

Dear Sir,

I work for a local courier company, and I would like through your newspaper to make the following appeal to the general public. Please get your house numbers clearly displayed on your houses, and, if your house is down a little driveway and not visible from the main road. Please also display your house number at the driveway entrance where it can be seen from the main road.

I've spoken to several householders in recent weeks about the lack of visible numbers, and all too often I've been greeted with a shrug of the shoulders and the comment: "Not my problem: the landlord hasn't put the numbers up yet."

Well, with all due respect, I submit that it is your problem. You're the person who lives there. You're the person who wants us to deliver stuff there, so you should be ensuring that your house numbers are clearly displayed on your residence. A few dollars at any hardware store buys nice three-inch high reflective stick-on numbers which can be stuck on your door, your wall, your gatepost, or wherever they can be clearly seen, and it really helps the delivery driver to know that, if he has a package for 321 South Road, Paget, he's actually at 321 South Road, Paget and not in the middle of half-a-dozen un-numbered houses with no way of telling which one's the right one.

As a follow-up to that, if you live in an apartment complex, please get all the residents to indicate clearly which apartment they live in. I and my colleagues have all had times when we've gone to a big house which is clearly numbered, only to find that it's split into several apartments with no indication of who lives where. As houses all have numbers (whether or not they're displayed!), I'd suggest that apartments should have letters, so that an apartment address should look something like this.

John Smith, Apartment C, 321 South Road, Paget.

So, general public, my appeal is simple. Please display your house and/or apartment numbers, and help us to serve you.

Many thanks.

DAVIE KERR

St. George's

February 10, 2005

Dear Sir,

Maybe I'm out of touch with the laws regarding lights on vehicles these days, but, as far as four-wheeled vehicles go, I always thought that the general rule was white lights to the front, red lights to the rear, and amber lights for indicators, and that was that. Why, then, are there so many cars on the road these days that look like four-wheeled Christmas trees at night?And how do they pass TCD?

Another thing: pedal cycles. I was always under the impression that pedal cyclists came under the same regulations as motorised vehicle drivers, i.e. ride on the left, no riding on the sidewalks or against the flow of one-way traffic, white light to the front and at least a red reflector to the rear at night, stop at red lights and stop signs, and all that other stuff.

Has that been changed, or are we now treating pedal cycles like North America does, basically letting pedal cyclists do what they like?

VOX ORIENTALIS

St. George's