Change of policy?

June 26, 2003

Dear Sir,

Concerning the current debate regarding the issuance of work permits for only six years and their being limited to 'key personnel', I note in her election press conference (Royal Gazette, June 26) that the Premier states that "it's not six years it's nine years for these permits". Is this another change in policy, the same as the St. George's Police Station, that the Cabinet and public are not aware of?

CRO

Smith's Parish

Pattern of arrogance

June 25, 2003

Dear Sir,

Outside of your readership who have been living on Hen Island for the last five years, nobody should be too surprised by Tourism Minister Renee Webb's decision to cancel the release of quarterly visitor arrival figures. This really is just another example of her predilection to flaunt a sense of authority she assumes is her right as an elected Member of Parliament. In the execution of her duties so far, she has exercised about as much common sense as a doorknob, which I suppose is also a good analogy of all the doors she has slammed in the faces of the many people who have disagreed with her. Unfortunately her latest foible also underscores the pattern of arrogance this government frequently demonstrates in its management of the people's business, despite all the rhetorical promises they made at the last election about full and open disclosure.

The tourism arrival figures are compiled by a branch of the civil service and therefore should be a matter of public record. Along with those people who have a direct investment in our tourism product, we, the tax-paying public, are entitled to know how the industry is doing. That is especially true now, since it is quite obvious that this Minister is at a complete loss as to how to turn things around for the better. Making ridiculous excuses about issues like the recent advertising debacle or sticking one's head in the sand as is the case here, will not make the serious challenges facing our tourism industry go away.

LET'S HAVE IT!

Pembroke

And the award goes to...

June 25, 2003

Dear Sir,

I have been searching the stores in Hamilton for a suitable trophy to be presented to the Corporation of Hamilton, and especially the City Engineer. This award will be in appreciation for the way that so many traffic lights have been positioned behind trees and utility poles.

If the former Iraqi regime had known this skill existed here in Bermuda, then these WMD that cannot be found would have never even been heard of in the first place.

BILL NEARON

Pembroke

'Disgusting' entrance

June 25, 2003

Dear Sir,

I write this letter having grown up with some of Bermuda's greatest (and classiest!) 'street people' ... who can forget Weatherbird, Capt. Jack and Tom (Wardrobe) Tucker? But we have a different type on the streets today... or should I say on the benches around town.

I write specifically about the entrance to our National Library on Queen Street. What is the point of the benches? Every morning and throughout the day our illustrious bums sleep on them - and yesterday, there wasn't room on the left side bench so Bum One snuggled up to the flower bed (I use the term VERY loosely) next to the bench. Secondly, the main entrance to the Library is so disgusting with it's greasy benches, flower beds full of trash and cigarette butts, and bums sleeping all over the place, that I can't imagine any clean living tourist, much less a local resident, feeling very comfortable walking through there.

Whoever is responsible for the Library might want to at least consider cleaning up the entrance.

WATCHING

P.s. Roger, I see Jinxie's out... he's working Bermudiana Road early mornings.

Insulting my intelligence

June 26, 2003

Dear Sir,

On Monday, June 23, I found myself out of cash and starving for food.

I made a quick stop to the ATM machine outside the Bank of Bermuda's Church Street branch for some cash. There I found both outside machines were temporarily out of service. Not a problem, I understand the machines need to be serviced. It was around 3 p.m. which is a little late for the machines to be serviced but I thought I just caught them at the wrong time.

With my stomach growling even more and my head feeling a little light, I proceeded to go to the machine inside near the tellers. To my surprise that machine was also out of service. I then politely asked the first teller behind the counter if all the machines were being serviced. Her reply, in a smart and snappy manner was, "What does it say on the screen?"

Now I'm generally a humble person, but I was ready to go off on this teller for insulting my intelligence. But I remained calm. I explained to her that it is not normal for all three machines to be serviced at the same time and asked if there was a problem with the system.

She looked in the room from where the machines are serviced and sure enough no one was in there. The system was indeed down.

My point is, there aren't many places left that give good service in Bermuda and the Bank is certainly one place I would expect to served and have my questions answered in a professional manner. It makes me wonder if firing staff for circulating porn is of more concern to administration than the service it delivers to its customers.

Furthermore, I when I relayed my experience to one of my co-workers she also told me about the bad (and rude) service she received from the Bank of Butterfield, which I can attest to as I've experienced bad service there also. So Bermuda, have we lost our sense of hospitality and professional service? I would like to know so that I can start to insult my customers and feel no shame just like the teller did with me.

BROKE, HUNGRY AND DUMB

Smith's Parish

Four years vs. 30

June 17, 2003

Dear Sir,

First of all, please allow me to say "congratulations to the people of the former Pembroke East Central for how they voted in the recent by-election. I think it was a good gesture for them to return someone of the late Mr. David Allen's party to finish his term in the House. I do not know if that was the basis for the way they voted, or if it was a matter of them keeping the message alive, that they have had enough of the United Bermuda Party.

Next, let me say that I wish the PLP was half as hungry to keep the government as the UBP is to regain it. Mr. Editor, the UBP is trying to brainwash this country in having us to believe that it is a new UBP, which is in opposition to something I said in a previous letter to this column. Please allow me to quote from that letter.

"The UBP cannot change, not even if they change their name and location every day of the week. Any change that they try to invent will only be cosmetic. The zebra cannot change its stripes, neither can the giraffe change its neck. Until the white community spreads itself out in the other parties, the UBP will always be the UBP, no matter what." (June 4, 2001)

To say that the UBP is new because it is a white party there's nothing new about that. Moreover, the UBP would deny that it is a white party. It is known just about everywhere outside of Bermuda that we have two major parties here - a black one and a white one, so let the reader be the judge. Next, to say that the UBP is new because it has black candidates, there's nothing new about that since they have always had them. What is it then that makes it new - their philosophy? Two questions arise from this: (1) What is it that they have now that they didn't have before? (2) What is it that they had in the past that they do not have now? Again, let the reader be the judge. I do not know if Mr. Furbert or Dr. Gibbons can enlighten us to what is really new about the UBP. One thing we can consider new is that it is still a new Opposition in the sense that it is in its first term as opposition. From this standpoint the PLP will have to be considered as still a new government.

In a letter to this column, soon after the last election, I said that the first term for the PLP would be for them to make their mistakes, and their second term would be for them to correct their mistakes. (Mistakes made in their first term). The PLP has certainly made some mistakes in this their first term, but the UBP also made mistakes in their 30-year reign as government. They had all of 30 years to correct their mistakes. I therefore ask - is it fair to compare four years with 30 years? There is no comparison.

Because of mistakes made, some of us are not too happy with the present style of leadership of this government and may be tempted to switch parties. Let us be patient and remember that there are others who can lead the party - Mr. Hodgson, Minister Paula Cox and others, even Mr. Dale Butler who is considered not to be a team player. Let me say that I am in full agreement with Mr. Stuart Hayward in his article in The Bermuda Sun, that Mr. Butler deserves better. Right now, a PLP under Mr. Butler would really take off.

Another thing, Mr. Editor, in my opinion, no body plays the race card more and plays it better than the UBP. Every time they throw the sarcasm at the PLP that the UBP is a party of diversity; that has racial connotations to it. Let me ask... Why did Mr. Furbert go after Mr. Simmons? Why did he go after Mr. Kenneth Bascome? Who are the white candidates whom he has recruited? There are two points to be raised here. (1) Is it the practice of what Minister Webb was taken to task for with her "people who look like me" statement? (2) Would Mr. Furbert or Dr. Gibbons deny the fact that the UBP needs the black votes to pull off an election. Therefore black candidates are targeted by the UBP to attract black votes. If that isn't playing the "race-card" then may someone tell me what it is. "Gimme a break... somebody needs a Kit Kat". For the UBP to use the race card even in subtle ways, than constantly accusing the PLP for the same thing is hypocrisy.

A new UBP with a larger number of black candidates is a camouflage. It is like those creatures that change the colour of their skin to suite their environment. That is disguise and deception. The party is looking almost like the PLP, so they better stop criticising the PLP of being a black party.

One more thing, Mr. Editor, there is nothing wrong with the UBP being a white party. By the same token, there is nothing wrong with the PLP being a black party. If the UBP is not a white party, then neither is the PLP a black party.

RENDOL JAMES