The 30+ year question

May 6, 2008

Dear Sir,

When will National Stadium be finished? Does any of the people involved in the project really care? Where's the pool?

WAITING AND WONDERING

Pembroke

A complete nonsense

May 2, 2008

Dear Sir,

Re: 'Exams are stressful enough!' By Sam Strangeways. The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance in England are obviously not considering the whole picture. It is absurd for them not to take all of the British education system throughout the world into consideration.

To expect children in Bermuda to be up and alert at 5 a.m. is complete nonsense. The obvious solution would be to put the kids in UK to the exam at noon or 1 p.m. letting Bermuda have the exam at 8 or 9 a.m. This would not be great for the kids in Sydney, Australia as they are ten hours ahead of London (if they take the same exams there)

I have just looked at the exam timetable at:

http://www.aqa.org.uk/admin/t_table_pdf/TT-GCE-SUM08.PDF and note that exams in UK are given some at 9 a.m. and some at 1.30 p.m., which translates to 5 a.m. and 9.30 a.m. Bermuda Time.

This schedule was established last September.

There must be some other way to make this work!

JAMES MORGAN

St. George's

Stay at a guest house

May 7, 2008

Dear Sir,

If the concerned parents of students who have to sit their important exams at 6 a.m. are unsuccessful at convincing the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) in England to allow students in Bermuda to start at a later time, perhaps they should consider staying at a guest accommodation near the school the night before the exam. This would allow an extra hour to sleep for those students who live at either end of the island.

I sympathise with those poor students because I know what it feels like when I have to catch an early morning flight (you don't really sleep soundly because you're constantly watching the clock to make sure you don't oversleep). My son took his GCSE's last year and is unaffected. Good luck to the students taking their GCSE's this year.

JENNIFER CAINES

Pembroke

Speed bumps will work

April 30, 2008

Dear Sir,

Hello Gents …been to Bermuda many times with my late wife … about five years ago. We witnessed many harrowing near misses, just getting to our hotel. A very simple idea (even Government should be able to grasp) – install Gator-sized speed bumps every 50 yards on every road in Bermuda! I'm willing to bet though …until one of Cabinet's close family members (spouse or child) is killed … nothing is going to happen.

ALEXANDER J. EUCARE Jr.

Alexandria, Virginia

Govt. advertising questions

May 5, 2008

Dear Sir,

I would like to ask Colonel Burch and Premier Brown two questions:

1. Where online will you be putting Government advertising?

I go on the Internet for my pleasure, not to have to go to a Government site to see if there may be any Governmental proclamations that I should be reading.

I read The Royal Gazette also for my pleasure, but I am far more likely to read it from cover to cover, and, coincidentally, read any Governmental advertising that may be in there. Looking for Government adverts is not really a priority of mine, and the harder it is for me to find them the less likely I am to see them. So, if you want me to read your ads, you have to put them where I'll easily find them.

2. Will Government advertising be kept separate from PLP advertising on this online site (keep Government and politics separate)? If not, will the UBP also be able to advertise on this site?

D. LEWIS

St George's

Drivers must slow down

May 6, 2008

Dear Sir,

I read today with interest in "Letters" about roadblocks and how they work to prevent drunk driving and to simply remove road privileges for six months without court dates.

I thoroughly agree and think this would help with the continued backlog of traffic court.

A suggestion I have to add to this would be for the Transport Control Department to put regulators in Public transportation and in vehicles where drivers have repeated speeding offences.

With the buses moving slower, the whole Island would have to slow down. Where the buses are going at great speed is a mystery to me and those whom they pass by. In other jurisdictions it is posted on bus stops the arrival of buses at locations along the route at specific times. We are a small location and drivers shouldn't be getting lost or need to make up time due to traffic.

If the speed limit was adhered to all traffic would slow down, all passengers would have a good idea of when to expect the next bus and the visitors would be less afraid of their "island bus experience". After 30 years in the tourism industry I am always amazed to hear the stories of the crazy bus ride they survived! We aren't exactly a third world country now are we?

Surely the "leaders" can show us the way with some quality legislation.

Thanks for the space to rant for a moment or two, and I don't mind criticism. Slow down Bermuda!

BV

Sandys

Enforcement the answer

May 1, 2008

Dear Sir,

I cannot agree more with your recent letter writers' proposals to mitigate the alarming increase of loss of life and limb on Bermuda's roads. Increased police presence and increased enforcement of traffic laws will most definitely have the desired effect. Education regarding speeding, driving under the influence of drink or drugs, and general road safety is good in and of itself, but it will have very little effect on the decisions of a driver who has drunk more than three drinks, let alone one who has drunk more than 13 and had a few joints to boot. I know this to be a fact – I was that kind of driver.

I speak now from the relative safety of my position as an adult and productive member of society who no longer drinks nor does drugs, however, in my youth I had little maturity and no qualms about driving under the influence, speeding or due care on the road. During the late 1970s and early 1980s I drove my bike while underage, drunk and/or high on a regular basis, often speeding and without due care for other users of the road.

I drove my parents' car in similar compromised conditions. I wrote off many vehicles, and had many accidents as a result, mostly the infamous "single vehicle" kind, involving "collisions with walls/trees/poles", but I did on occasion involve other road users as well, for which I have paid the price and made my amends.

The only thing that kept me from more frequent and serious incidents, indeed that kept me alive through that period (other than blind luck and a loving God) was a healthy fear of Police on the road. Those times when I was too drunk or high to know better, the actual presence of Police on the road provided the necessary governor on my need for speed or my desire to drive in spite of my inability to do so, protecting my life and the life of others.

I was stopped numerous times, paid speeding fines numerous times and had my licence suspended several times. Fortunately, and due in no small part to such Police and judicial intervention, I survived to tell this tale – many of us, including eight so far this year, will not.

The roads of 2008 are far busier than the roads of 1978, yet they are policed less; the bikes and cars are larger, faster and more powerful, yet they are stopped less; drivers drink more, yet licences are suspended less; if I were driving today the way I did then, I would not survive – I would be a statistic. In order to prevent our children, our nieces and our nephews from becoming such statistics, it is imperative to re-establish effective police presence on our roads in order to re-establish security, sanity and safety on our roads.

VIGILANTE

City of Hamilton

Where are we headed?

May 1, 2008

Dear Sir,

I would like to take this opportunity to voice my objection at the possible construction of 20 dwellings units in St. David's (published by The Royal Gazette on April 25). My family has lived in St. David's now for over 50 years were my Mom and Dad have raised me and my brother and we all can't believe how many new homes developers are trying to squeeze into the already cramped island when next to no provision is being made for more renovations of already existing buildings on Southside.

I have noticed over the years vast numbers of old building already constructed on the South Side part of St. David's. Why can these builds not be renovated for the use of people? I am appalled that the last bit of open space in St. David's is going to be allowed to construct housing when there are other building empty already in existence. I pleas that you hear the voices of our small island and realises that we do like a little vegetation.

Also the roads in St. David's are not meant for vast amounts of traffic, especially in this area of Sofar Lane and Sofar Drive. The whole of Bermuda is already concerned with the road fatalities going on already! What other problems is this going to cause? Why, when children's health is such a concern, are houses being built with no space for them to play outside? Children living in these circumstances are forced into indoor sedentary activities. Is this where we want to be heading? St. David's is known for its historical contributions. Leave us be and allow us to keep some traditions going. Please don't take this from us.

JUNIOR

St. David's

I hope it won't be too late

May 5, 2008

Dear Sir,

It all depends on whose ox is being gored!

When Mr. Jim Butterfield and the Bermuda Cement Company were being outrageously treated by this Government, not a word in protest came from the Chamber of Commerce, The Bermuda Employers Council, or other bodies supported by the local and overseas business community. When The Royal Gazette was on the receiving end of Government's payback for again looking after the interest of the community, at considerable cost to their shareholders, where were the voices of these bodies in support and protest?

Now that Government has gone a step further, and through their unelected Minister, David Burch, has started to put the squeeze on the Hospitality Industry; all of a sudden the President of the Chamber of Commerce, Philip Barnett, is taking a very active interest. I wonder why? You don't suppose as a restaurant owner he has suddenly found himself at the receiving end of Government's spite and malice?

It's high time that the community took notice how their rights are being chipped away by an unrepresentative Government. Dr. Brown and his immediate cohorts are ruining Bermuda and all of us, including his back benchers and PLP supporters will be responsible for the mess in the end. By then I hope it is not too late to have a cleanup.

TAXPAYER

Paget

Complete the evolution

May 6, 2008

Dear Sir,

There has been much public discussion lately about the future of the UBP. I thought Matthew Taylor's recent article in the RG was interesting, and, as usual, well written. In that article, Charlie Jeffers, among others, made a good deal of sense. Charlie has always been a thoughtful man – very caring about Bermuda and its people.

The UBP seems to be mired in its dither about whether it is an "old" party or a "new" one. It is hung up on whether there should be a split and what to do about its name.

The UBP started the process of becoming a new party in 1998. Maybe, some of its less imaginative members are not fully aware of this, but, if they would accept that premise as fact, decisions about what they should be, do, or think, might become a little easier.

For the life of me, I cannot understand what is holding them up. There should be no need to disband and form a new party, leaving the so-called 'old UBP' to remain. That would have to be quite the most retrogressive route to take.

If there is a group of 'old UBP' which is putting a serious spoke in the wheel of progress, then therein lies part of the problem.

How hard is that to sort out?

The UBP needs to give itself permission to complete its evolutionary metamorphosis.

In Matthew Taylor's article someone said that there were those in the UBP who didn't want to give Dr. Brown the satisfaction of seeing the end of the UBP, by changing the party's name. Well, if it is that sort of mind-set which is prevalent within the UBP caucus then no wonder it can't get its act together.

I know I have some nerve offering advice to the UBP, bearing in mind I have rarely had anything good to say about it in more than 30 years, but, here goes regardless:

1. Conduct a serious, in-house survey – MP's and party members. Formulate the results carefully and objectively.

2. Canvass various constituencies – choosing them on the basis of which seats show PLP vulnerability. Collate this information with that of (1) with the emphasis on 'objectivity'.

3. Work out where the present-day strength of the party is and which group represents that strength – focus on your 2007 election 'Agenda for Change' with the slogan 'together we can,' and then work on doing that among yourselves.

4. Disregard the negative taunting from the PLP. For the purpose of this discussion, the PLP is not an issue for the UBP. Having said that, the PLP would certainly be an issue if the UBP was daft enough to split into two parties.

5. If the group representing the strength of the party wants to change the name – change it. Names have emotional connotations and the emotional impact of the name "UBP" does have a negative impact. If the name's impact within the community is more negative than positive – it should be a no-brainer what you do about it.

6. Don't get caught up in circular discussions – politicians and committees habitually talk in circles, so, that one will be difficult. Get the information, make decisions then act – don't look back and don't second guess yourselves.

There it is – in the understanding that a perfectly reasonable response would be, "And who asked you?"

KATH BELL

Paget

Make them think twice

May 8, 2008

Dear Sir,

What I find strange about this Island is this that drug dealers get more time than people who murder. On top of that, a person caught stealing barely sees time, what's up with that? Make the person caught suffer that way, he or she would think twice about doing it again.

ANONYMOUS

Pembroke