Move is height of folly

March 19, 2002

Dear Sir,

With the current hoo-ha going on about relocating St. George's Police Station (or not relocating it, as the case may be), I think it's the height of folly to move the Police out of the town area.

I fully appreciate that they are operating in cramped, outdated and totally unsuitable conditions (I know: I worked there for ten years), but surely something could be worked out to keep them in the town itself?

I'd like to offer three possible suggestions.

Follow the example of Somerset Police Station, which used to share with the Post Office; the postal facility was moved down to Mangrove Bay, and the Police took over the whole building.

I'm sure it would be much less difficult to move the St George Post Office to an alternative location than to move the Police, and the Police would then remain in a central location in St. George's.

Move to the old Youth Centre on the eastern part of Water Street, where there's a bigger building and a big fenced-off yard for parking etc.

I did actually show that building to former Commissioner (Jean-Jacques) LeMay and he seemed quite impressed, but I suspect that other decisions had already been made at a much higher level than mine!

What about the big building currently under renovation behind the Customs post on Ordnance Island?

I feel that Southside, while certainly offering plenty of space for expansion, is quite simply too far away from the town area to offer an adequate Police presence.

By all means have a substation at Southside to cover St David's, but pulling out of the town entirely?

No!

DAVIE KERR

St. George's

Support for Rev. Smith

March 20, 2002

Dear Sir,

Please allow me space in your editorial column so that I may have an opportunity to set the record straight concerning my pastor.

Recently, I have noted that several writers have expressed negative views concerning the Rev. Dr. Goodwin C. Smith, J.P., M.P.E., through this medium in an attempt to discredit him.

He has been my pastoral leader for over two decades.

I feel qualified to attest to his character and leadership qualities.

The first thing I would like to emphasise, is that my pastor is a man of God who has demonstrated that he listens to and obeys the Lord's voice.

In so doing, his preaching may please some, while causing discomfort to others.

As a pastor, he has been charged to cry aloud and spare not.

No pastor needs to apologise for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As a pastor, he has a mandate from heaven to please God and to be His voice in this realm we call earth.

The Rev. Dr. Goodwin Smith has been a personal inspiration to me and as a loyal supporter of his ministry. I would like to encourage him to continue to preach with spiritual zeal.

Many others are equally supportive and proud to be associated with this great man of God.

Yes, he is only human, but he does strive towards the high calling.

For this reason, he is an excellent role model as he continues to display determination, intelligence and true leadership.

We must remember that there were those who disparaged Jesus Himself.

Dr. Smith, Christian leadership has always been a challenge, but you have the necessary qualities to rise to that challenge.

Speak on.

GLADSTONE THOMPSON

A piece in the puzzle

March 20, 2002

Dear Sir,

A lot has been said about the decline in Bermuda's tourism over the past few years.

Far be it from me to presume to understand the complexities of this serious problem.

However, I wish to bring to your attention, once again, the one piece of the puzzle that I can identify...airfares.

It is no secret to anyone who has travelled to, or investigated travelling to Bermuda, that the airfare is quite high.

It has been so high that I know of a number of friends who, after having heard me express my enjoyment of this wonderful Country, decided not to visit Bermuda due to the high cost of the airfare as compared to similar destinations.

Over the past four years my family has been able to mitigate the cost of the airfare by collecting a number of fellow St. George's Club members and taking advantage of a "group" rate.

The group rate has averaged in the low $300 range.

We are presently working on our plans to return to beautiful Bermuda in July.

Astonishingly, the group rate we have been quoted is $562 and the nongroup rate is $798.

This has almost doubled in one year.

We all know that flights to Florida average $200 and cruises to Bermuda are advertised at $600 (which includes meals and entertainment as well).

The Club owner, as well as the Bermuda Government, hotel, shop and restaurant owners must all be made aware of these outrageous prices.

If something is not done soon, Bermuda's tourism will be in a quick downward spiral and there will be a lot of cottages for sale.

ROGER THOMPSON

Middletown, New Jersey

Fairy tale spending

March 15, 2002

Dear Sir,

Senator Calvin Smith has had his charming little story about Joe the retiree printed twice.

Joe borrowed $50,000 to build two apartments onto his house to produce additional retirement income.

Joe of course has a fixed income and no doubt has cut his cloth accordingly.

This delightful fairy tale is used to justify the opinion that the recent budget is a brilliant stroke of genius.

On the other hand the PLP do not follow the same laudable fiscal restraints.

The spending of the PLP is approximately 30 percent more per year, close to $400 million since November 1998, than any UBP Government.

The current Budget projects to spend approximately $40 million more than our income and our national debt is growing by additional borrowing of $75 million to $225 million.

Additionally the PLP consistently return to the taxpayers' money trough because their spending is out of control.

Ask any Finance Minister in any country what their major fiscal problems are and they will tell you overspending, servicing, moving the national debt and inflation, which will come eventually.

And then poor Joe who was careful won't be able to rent his apartments and his house will be worth a fraction of what it is today.

PHIL CRACKNELL

We don't love to fly

March 20, 2002

Dear Sir,

On two occasions in recent months I have had the misfortune to fly on Delta Airlines to Atlanta and back.

I say "misfortune" because on the first flight out I discovered the plane was the B757, Delta's so called "off season" plane.

That's the one with three seats each side with about ten inches leg space between each row and the narrow aisle down the centre.

After squeezing my way past the first two seats, cracking my head on the overhead bins, (because I am taller than four feet, six inches), I wedged myself into a window seat.

I found that by pushing the base of my spine firmly to the back of the seat, I was able to fit my knees tightly against the seat in front, which was tolerable, until once we were in the air, the 250 pound person in front of me decided to lean back, slamming the back of his seat into my arthritic knees.

One would think that if Delta insists on making flying as uncomfortable as possible, they could at least bolt the seats in an upright position.

As the flight was completely full there was no chance to change seats.

Coming back I was fortunate enough to have the seat next to me empty and by sitting sideways was able to have a bearable flight.

On the next flight out I thought I would be smart and booked a seat on the aisle, at least I could stretch one leg out, but that was unsuccessful because you get jostled by people going back and forth, and trolleys running over your feet.

Again the flight was packed.

They say they are trying to get people to fly again, but with the high prices for tickets and the uncomfortable seating they are not doing much to encourage us.

SEEING IT AS IT IS

Pembroke

Transparency/invisibility

March 16, 2002

Dear Sir,

In the March 16, Royal Gazette, in an article entitled 'Deadline Passes for Boundaries Commission', Attorney General Dame Lois Browne-Evans is quoted as saying that the PLP made their submission "and to stop all guessing" the UBP had made their submission also.

Unfortunately she's wrong on this point of guessing.

The public can really only guess.

The public can really only guess what might be in the PLP's submission.

With the veil of secrecy that surrounds this Government, I'm sure there are some sitting PLP MPs who may also be curious as to what is in their own party's submission.

And then in the March 20 Bermuda Sun, PLP spokesman Mr. Blakeney is also being rather silly when he states in the UBP is being "extremely mischievous" for making their submission public.

The fact is the UBP held a number of open public forums where the party asked for feedback on their ideas for submission.

The irony here is of course that it was the PLP who portrayed themselves as being the Government of transparency - maybe someone should explain to them the subtle difference between being transparent - and being invisible.

JAMES TUCKER

Paget