We deserve better

February 6, 2007

Dear Sir,

Am I the only black woman in Bermuda confused by our leaders? They want us to know, they won't let us forget, our racist history. White folks are the devil, except for the white foreign nationals who run businesses that enrich us. Our black leaders can't do enough for them, whatever the long term cost to the rest of us: their plans "thrill" our Premier. But what could happen if our thugs ? we have some ? hear our leaders' rancour as permission to settle scores?

I read that 30,000 Bermudians of the 40,000 qualifiers have had their passports stamped so that they can leave quickly for the States if circumstances require. Surely our leaders would be last to go. I imagine them barefoot on the beach, squinting at the horizon, hoping, waiting for the first relief ship bringing breadfruit to the island.

We deserve better.

KEISHA WATERS

Hamilton and Boston

Turned on by 98.1 K Jazz

January 31, 2007

Dear Sir,

I would like to thank everyone involved in putting 98.1 K Jazz on Bermuda radio. The music that is played can be appreciated and understood by many people in Bermuda.

The selections of Jazz, Latin, Blues and some old school are up to par, this has been a long time coming. The less talking of things that will not change and more playing of music is also accepted. Please keep on doing what you are doing and I will close this by saying that if 98.1 K Jazz is not on your radio, your radio is really not on.

GARRY FRASER

Sandys

Bring back birch

January 28, 2007

Dear Sir,

It's time to bring back the "birch" for crimes of assault on people, this last one of a young boy on a private school field is the last straw.

It's a horrible thing for Bermuda as it does go around the world quite quickly.

No pat on the hand.

DEVONSHIRE

Reason to resign

January 29, 2007

This letter was sent to the Office of the Bermuda Ombudsman with a copy of the Royal Gazette

Dear Ms Brock,

In response to your comments in the Mid-Ocean News, 26 January, 2007 ? article entitled 'Someone pulled strings'. I trust that you are aware that the Bermuda Ombudsman is an Officer of the Legislature who is supposed to be independent of the Government and political parties. The Ombudsman's job is to ensure the accountability of government through effective oversight of the administration of Government Services in Bermuda. In other words, you should be 'objective', i.e., not influenced by personal feelings or opinions, especially without having all the facts.

In relation to my objection to application P0465/05; B0490/05, had my complaint been thoroughly investigated by your office and had you been made aware of the Planning process, rather than accepting the word of the Acting Planning Director, Mr. Brian M. Franklin who wrote to you on 11 May 2006, you may have clearly seen and agreed that the opinion of Ms Shirley D. Simmons of Trott & Duncan is not confirmation that Number 34 Great Bay Road, the property of Ms Jennifer Lightbourne Caines was not serviced by this right of way. Instead you accepted his word as the truth and failed to meet with me to request sight of my deeds which would have proven Ms Simmons' opinion to be incorrect.

This application, although incomplete, was hastily processed and ultimately granted final approval by the powers that be.

I have listed below a few points that I feel were not done correctly and they are as follows:

1. My understanding is that because a three dwelling unit was being sought; the access road to the property should have been a minimum of ten feet, therefore requiring the consent of the neighbouring property owners.

2. The access road was incorrectly set out, yet passed the inspection.

3. There was no up-to-date land survey on file that had been stamped by a Bermuda Registered land surveyor.

4. Technical Officers accepted a letter from the applicants lawyer, Ms Shirley D. Simmons, claiming her clients enjoyed exclusive use of the right of way and that I didn't; you in turn were also misinformed.

5. Had they or you requested sight of my deeds, you would have learned the truth of the matter.

With this in mind, I ask that you attempt to be objective and review the correspondence a little more carefully, as I have done, and you, therefore, wouldn't have to "pretend that an authority did something wrong".

If your duties are to look at what's right and you have clearly stated that you don't see where the department has done anything wrong, then I find it quite disturbing that you are occupying the position of Ombudsman for Bermuda.

In closing, considering the facts of this case, and since this process obviously did not allow me due attention, you should now have a better understanding as to why there is a percentage of complainants who are very anchored in their own view, that the department is wrong.

Therefore, in my opinion, since you have publicly shown your lack of objectivity, you should do the honourable thing and resign from the position of Ombudsman for Bermuda.

JENNIFER CAINES

St. David's

Vote for mediation

January 31, 2007

Dear Sir,

I read your letter signed mediation not litigation it made me ponder the following questions:

1. What percentage of the population gain by having children's custody issues go before a court setting? The only answer that comes to my mind would be lawyers and related employment. Perhaps, if figures are to be believed, larger numbers of police and Prison officers in any case, I would think a small percentage of the population.

2. What percentage of the population pay in one way or another when children suffer the ill effects of being raised by one parent? (Not to forget some of us did okay with just Mom or Dad). It seems there is a pretty big fall out from children and youth looking for attention in all the wrong places. The pain and rehabilitation costs effect 100 percent of us regardless of ones situation. I vote for MEDIATION and two parents wherever possible and a system that does not allow a mother to abuse the excessive litigation process just because she normally wins. The truth is it's a hollow victory if the child loses.

JONATHAN K. INGEMANN

St. George's

Shocking service

February 8, 2007

Dear Sir,

The Bermuda Postal Service is a disgrace! When the Chief Postman states that his government department is working towards a minimum of a four working day delivery service, I shake my head in disbelief.

Twenty years ago, when my sister in England died, I went to Surrey, England for the funeral. The day I arrived, a card of condolence arrived through the mail slot in my brother-in-law's front door just after 4 p.m. The postmark on the card indicated it had been mailed in Scotland, that day, at 8.30 a.m. Bermuda is 20 or so miles long and the Chief Postman has stated he is working on a the establishment of a four-day delivery service. How can he explain, with today's technology available to him, that 20 years ago, a card travelled three hundred miles between Scotland and England in less than one day and he seems to be proud to talk about an expected delivery service of four days?

Something is seriously wrong with a system where a Post Office van picks up a letter in the Somerset post office addressed to someone in any of the other parishes and it goes to the Airport sorting office. Wouldn't it be easier to stop at one of the other post offices on the way to the airport?

Another of your correspondents has suggested an enquiry into the Bermuda Postal Service and I fully support his suggestion.

John Barnett

City of Hamilton

Disgraceful neglect

February 2, 2007

Dear Sir,

The two most important Government Departments are the Judiciary and the Legislature and nothing meaningful has been done to improve the facilities from which each of them operates for more than one hundred years. The results of this disgraceful neglect are first that neither can function properly and secondly that neither of them now enjoys public respect and consequently thirdly that respect for law and order throughout the community is being seriously undermined.

Doing something to put this right should rank in Government's priorities well ahead of any of the other more prosaic problems facing government such as hospitals, education, traffic, housing, drugs, the environment and tourism.

The first step should be to move both Houses of Parliament to the Hamilton City Hall. Chambers should be made for the House of Assembly and the Senate with raised galleries for the public and the media and there should be offices for the Speaker and the President of the Senate, the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition and the staff. There should also be Committee rooms, library, an elevator and a Members dining room.

To accomplish this the Corporation of Hamilton will have to be abolished but doing this is long overdue in any event.

The idea of putting a hotel in the parking lot North of the Par-la-Ville Park is stupid. This land should be used for a six level car parking facility with two upper floors, one for a theatre and the other for a Civic Centre for Art Galleries and the like.

WILLIAM M. COX

Devonshire

Explain the logic

January 28, 2007.

Dear Sir,

The Government's approach to curbing drug use would be a joke ? if it wasn't SO SERIOUS.

The previous Premier supported mandatory drug testing in the workplace . . . Should not the House of Assembly be considered a workplace???

How can the Premier and his Cabinet not support mandatory drug testing of Elected Members of the PLP Government??There must be some logic to this, but it escapes me.

WHAT ARE THEY FRIGHTENED OF?

SOUTHAMPTON