Lack of leadership

January 10, 2005

Dear Sir,

The real problem with the Berkeley debacle is not the extended construction schedule, cost over runs and so on. That's bad, for sure. But capital projects run over budget and time occasionally, sometimes massively and still end up being sort of OK. In days of yore, the people who managed the project would have been fired. But in these more enlightened days, failure to do a job is hardly reason to be fired from it. So never mind.

The more urgent problem is what the project says about governance. This was supposed to be the government of education. Since no real movement has come on the education front ? the Department of Ed has not been reformed, there is no concerted policy on Education and in a country that clearly does not support education for all, leadership is clearly needed and lacking. One assumes that the Berkeley project is part of some sort of education programme. But we do not know. We have not been told. We know that it is expensive. And time consuming. And the management of the project has been lame. But as for it being part of a programme of improved education, who knows? One would think that education was not important. But it is. The world that our government is supposed to protect us in, is fast changing. there is no area of governance in which a people can be better prepared than education. A concerted educational programme that is nimble, adaptable, exhaustive and for everyone is the only possible option for a country our size. Has the PLP presented us with anything close to this? Did the UBP? Sadly not. Apparently the issue is not worth discussion or consideration.

We are not the only ones with lousy governance. In a highly sophisticated world, politics lags way behind business and society. It happens everywhere. Every President of the US since Kennedy, with the exception of perhaps Bush Sr. and Clinton, has not been well suited to his monstrous responsibilities. In fact most of them were incompetent and I believe history will bear me out. Politicians don't govern anymore. They react. They don't form policy, they follow. A corporation will formulate an extensive and focused business plan. It has a purpose and a goal. Governments just don't. No wonder businesses run rings around government. It's organised. If you fail in business they fire you. In government you get promoted. This used to be funny. But here in Bermuda where we are only living on our wits, this is not good.

In the long run, we have to rethink the entire way we govern ourselves. Ross Perot was right. We need a responsive and much faster moving governmental function. For him, the answer was technology. I would add that we have to make decisions also about who gets positions of power and ways must be found to make the threat of expulsion from power more real to those who are appointed.

In the short run we need initiative from government. The PLP has been in for six years. Many people complain about them. But it's hard. You can't complain about a government unless it actually does something.

Monument to folly

January 13, 2006

Dear Sir,

The new director of the incorrectly named Sustainable development Project (it should be more accurately titled as the Soviet Style Economic Planning Project) darkly warns in an interview in page 3 of January 13 that "Policy violators beware ? you will be named and shamed". Unfortunately, I will be travelling for two weeks from January 14 so I cannot pen an appropriate response to the nonsense she spouts.

However, I have one request during my absence. Can I please, please, be the first person to be named and shamed as I would regard the appellation as an honour. This is the most idiotic project ever devised by a Bermuda Government because economic planning has never ever worked anywhere it has been tried. From Jamaica, to Argentina, to Chile, to Ghana, to Egypt, to Tanzania, to North Korea, to China, to Russia, to Poland, to India it has been an unmitigated disaster ? especially for those who are poor. Without exception, all comprehensive government economic plans have been monuments to folly and fatuity.

The main reason for its conspicuous lack of success is that some small committee of wise men and women can never make decisions for everyone else without imposing some form of dictatorship. Planners can never ever reproduce the decisions that individuals make for themselves because, no matter how talented they are, they can never acquire the requisite information and knowledge. It is conceit (and ignorance) of the highest order to believe that they can, and that they can play the role of God.

I look forward to reading the first annual report because I am sure it will contain even more economic nonsense than the interview with the Director referred to in my first paragraph.

PTB's looming crisis

January 17, 2005

Dear Sir,

Another year over and another year closer to crunch time for PTB.

You may recall that in the staid old 20th Century, each bus had a simple four-digit number based on the year of purchase ? 8801 being the first bus purchased in 1988; 9812 being the twelfth purchased in 1998 etc.

But then came the new millennium. London had its Dome and Hamilton had its Countdown Clock (which has never been seen since and for which the money might have been better spent on the Salvation Army shelter), so clearly PTB needed to mark the occasion with a grand gesture. Accordingly, the first bus purchased in 2000 heralded the racy new numbering system ? 2K01.

Cutting-edge stuff. But it wasn't long (a year, actually) before a problem loomed.

While Y2K had ingrained itself in the human psyche as representing the year 2000, there was no similar catchy abbreviation for the year 2001. So, rather than admit that the new numbering system was a mistake, or even pretend that it was just a "one off" to mark the new millennium, PTB added a digit, with the first bus for 2001 sporting the number 2K101.

But wait ? there's more! In less than four years we'll hit 2010. The choice for PTB: either add another digit ? 2K1001 ? or go back to the old fashioned four digit numbering system ? 1001. My vote (not that I have one) goes with changing back.

After all, it's not as if we're going to confuse buses from 2010 with any from 1910 still plying the routes.

Interestingly, the photo on the front of the current schedule is of a bus sporting the number 2001, which has never existed. The same photo was used several years ago, with the bus showing its real number 9605 ? as painted on the roof above the door.

Such subterfuge! What will they try next ? telling us that the expensive flat-panel displays in the new Bus Station will still be operational (as opposed to stolen, smashed or just out or order) in six months time?

How does Cayman do it?

Dear Sir,

It was a fascinating education in tourism development reading today's (on-line) edition of . I read that the Club Med resort has, "lain empty for almost two decades". And that, "The St. George's Renaissance Consortium this week released a brief statement reporting it has the finance ready, a five star hotelier [Four Seasons in place and is keen to proceed with its plans but said negotiations with the Government had ".

Really not much news there. Decades old same-old, same-old "news".

What I really found fascinating was that immediately after reading Bermuda's Royal Gazette I clicked over to the Cayman Net News and read the following article. Same day, different islands.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

THE Ministry of Tourism's "Go East" initiative, which intends to create more business opportunities in East End and North Side, is bearing fruit with the proposed construction of Mandarin Oriental Hotel in the eastern districts.

The Mandarin Oriental group, which has 23 luxury hotels, has earmarked a beachfront area along the Queen Elizabeth Highway in East End, Grand Cayman, for one of its seven new hotels.

Work on the five-star property is expected this year and completion is set for 2007. At start-up the international group hopes to construct 150 guestrooms.

Tourism Minister, Hon Charles Clifford, is thrilled at the news that the Cayman Islands has secured another leading hotel chain with businesses in 17 countries.

"We're very happy to have a Mandarin Oriental coming to Cayman," said Mr. Clifford. "Now that we have the Ritz-Carlton we're likely to see competition following competition."

The Minister said the company had identified a local contractor and he expected work on the hotel to begin in the coming months, given the commitment to have it ready next year.

"I would expect that they would start construction this year because they indicated that they would be opening sometime in 2007, when they made the announcement several months ago," he said.

The location of the new hotel also pleased the Minister who noted the traffic congestion on the Seven Mile Beach, the busiest strip of land on the Island.

"There is a substantial amount of development on the Seven Mile Beach already and until we get additional infrastructure in place in terms of roads, it will be difficult to accommodate additional properties," he noted.

Mr. Clifford added, "We're particularly happy that they have chosen the eastern end of the Island to develop."

According to the Government official, the eastern district would receive special attention to allow for tourism development there.

"The Ministry is going to do what it can to facilitate the development of that property in the Eastern District," the Minister said.

He disclosed that his Ministry was keeping an eye on the project and would facilitate the developers.

"The Ministry wants to know whether they're still on track and on time, and we will do what we can to work with the developers to facilitate their projected opening date.

"I haven't had any direct discussions with the developers or the promoters but the Ministry has an interest in that so when they're ready they will speak to us," he said.

Mr. Clifford stopped short of saying what impetus or assistance Government would provide the Mandarin Oriental, which has over 8,000 rooms in its hotels in Asia, Europe and the Americas.

"We will do what we can as we normally do to facilitate their investments and development," he added.

He also disclosed that a representative of the Four Seasons hotel chain has expressed an interest in coming to the Cayman Islands to investigate the possibility of establishing a property here.

The Four Seasons, which commenced in 1960, has 68 luxury hotels in 31 countries and has more than 20 under construction.

A Mandarin Oriental! A Ritz-Carlton! A Four Seasons! How the heck is Cayman doing this? Maybe they just want tourism development more than other islands. Fascinating!