July 12, 2003

Dear Sir,

I read Saturday's paper of July 12 with much disgust. The so-called new UBP has not been out long enough to learn from their many mistakes, and the PLP have not been in long enough to change the UBP's many mistakes.

If you think gone are the days of Sir John Sharpe, Sir John Swan, Dr. David Saul, Pamela Gordon, don't be so fooled because you can see them in the likes of Dunkley (the dairy boy), Barritt (the soda boy), Gibbons, Adderley and the so-called new faces, that will be told what to do by the dairy boy since he is Shadow Minister of All.

Who are the UBP fooling, up to their old tricks, promising to build houses with a $2,000 monthly mortgage? If they were so concerned about housing they should have fixed the houses in St. David's instead of destroying them. Where do you think the money is coming from? The same place it did when they were in power - the taxpayers. Your monthly budget will increase so much, you will not notice that the $2,000 mortgage was a good deal. Now think back when they ruled, the middle person was always paying out, you received a raise and it was immediately taken from you by increased taxes, namely, Government pension, car licence, payroll tax, to name a few.

Seniors, my mom is 75 years of age and her medication has always been costly. She and my dad before his passing would complain repeatedly. She did not become a senior in four years but ten years ago when UBP was in government. Did they do anything then? Not at all. So why believe their promises now? Today I took my mom to get her medication and it was free. Thanks, PLP.

Taxi drivers, my dad was an owner and operator. I would often hear him saying, many drivers don't want to drive back of town folk, just airports. No, the GPS won't solve the problem but it will tell how many taxis are parked up days while the owner does his weekly job, hopefully it will tell how many taxis are assigned to hotels privately Mr. Dodwell, and how many taxis are assigned to the exempted companies, Mr. Flood. Think about it, how many of the taxi owner and operators have brought this on themselves? Sorry to say but you must have a look within.

Yes, the PLP have work to do and have made mistakes but weigh them against the many the UBP made and the amount of years they had to get it right and they still haven't.

Yes, every house needs a doctor and a butler. You both have done great jobs.

Stop believing everything you read in the newspaper, for they report what they want you to hear. This is what the New UBP want is to cause doubt that's their job as an opposition and I think they have done it so well they need another term so vote PLP.

CONSTITUENCY #25

Warwick

How would Coltrane feel...

July 15, 2003

Dear Sir,

I am writing in response to an article which appeared in The Royal Gazette, July 7, titled "I decided to make something of the time".

The article was on soon-to-be freed prisoner Coltrane Ratteray, who has saved more than $8,000 while working construction through the work-release programme.

I suggest that since the programme is the only way this criminal knows how to make an honest living, then he should continue, because he has no idea how it feels to:

To work hard for years and one day decide to take a vacation and get up in the morning to find all your vacation money has been stolen.

To be a summer student, who has worked all summer to help finance their way through college, to awaken on the morning when they are due to return to college, to find that the money they worked so hard for was stolen.

I strongly believe in that saying "What goes around, comes around". I wonder how he would feel if upon leaving prison, someone stole his $8,000.

I hope that the next article printed on this criminal, is titled 'Coltrane repays victims'.

THE SMITHS, (VICTIMS)

Warwick

A successful observance

July 9, 2003

Dear Sir,

Could your columns be used to thank the many people, organisations and businesses which made the celebration of the 44th anniversary of the Success of the Theatre Boycott, a successful observance.

This would include a number of individuals, notably Laura Gorham and Gene Steede who helped in the production of the radio commercial.

Then, of course, the Corporation of Hamilton, which has commissioned a bronze plaque in honour of this watershed event and came up with a "stand-in" wooden plaque which had some people thinking twice about the need of a bronze one. Add to this, their hospitality in throwing a reception for the members of the Progressive Group, others who played a key role in the boycott as well as supporters of this effort.

There were the major sponsors of adverts, in the Bank of Butterfield, Bank of Bermuda, Belco, Centre Re and XL Capital. Add to these the rest of the 17 employers which committed to encouraging employee participation in the pause.

These included ACE, BTC, Bermuda Government, Capital G, A.S. Coopers, Goslings, Lindos, Marketplace, Miles, Stevedoring Services, Supermart, Trimingham's. Their collective action alone, made this event unprecedented.

Add to this the participation of the Corporation of St. George on the Town Square.

We must also thank Meyer Agency for facilitating having the Cruise ships signal the beginning and the end of the Pause, as well those Churches that tolled their bells.

The radio stations of Bermuda Broadcasting and DeFontes Broadcasting also played their part in observing the pause, tying in their listeners for what was an Island-wide event.

This observance has allowed us to take another step forward in facilitating a coming together of the residents of our island home.

BEYOND BARRIERS