Three questions

February 5, 2008

Dear Sir,

I read with interest the comments in Saturday's daily about the so-called success of the Faith-Based Tourism initiative.

The tone of the article caused me to wonder a few things:

1. Mr. Curtis seemingly admitted in his statement that the contractual obligations were not met with the number of visitors actually being below that set out in the contract. Does that mean that the bonus of $20,000 for the 2007 fiscal year is being withheld in accordance with the contract?

2. Will, arguably, the most important condition in the contract be acted on? Namely, the condition to refund the Government money if the target of 2,000 visitors was not met? and

3. Why was the 2007 funding of this project set at $400,000 for 2,000 visitors when the 2006 funding of $200,000 was also for 2,000 visitors? Why double the funding without doubling target number of visitors? Where is the fiscal prudence?

I guess we will see when the 2008 Budget is revealed. Watching and waiting...

TAXPAYER

Southampton

Parliamentary reform

January 30, 2008

Dear Sir,

One quarter of the membership of the newly elected House of Assembly is made up of new members. I think therefore that it is an opportune time for consideration to be given to changes being made to Bermuda's Constitution, and to the Rules of the House of Assembly. Bermuda's Constitution is outdated and therefore in urgent need of amendment. The Rules of the House of Assembly also need to be amended as many of them are out of date when compared with Parliaments, for example, in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. With a new Parliament it is to be hoped that the above stated amendments will be considered at an early date. The reform of our laws is also urgently needed. This is obvious as some of our country's laws go back to the early part of the last century! It is a very good time for the new Members of Parliament to give their input concerning the urgent need for Parliamentary Reform.

JOHN GILBERT

Paget

Dangers of complacency

January 31, 2008

Dear Sir,

There is a pervading complacency in our midst that can be seen and felt by anyone with eyes to see or ears to hear or a gut to feel, a complacency that is both disturbing, subtle and dangerous.

Misdeeds, corruption and wrong doing (politely described) either ignored, disregarded or swept under that famous rug.!

A silence of acceptance so deafening that it leaves one baffled and waiting for a response of refute, that never comes.

Have we come so far down the road, are our standards so diminished that the means justifies the end? Are we getting so used to the abuse of the law, common decency, and the rough shodding over the Constitutional rights of the people that we have become numb and dumb to it?

Is it that big business wants something and the Government wants something too, so the compromise is an agreed massage and silence? Surely this lovely island is not going to stand still for such a damaging compromise, risking the integrity and reputation of this island.

Bermuda is the prize, not to be swallowed up by greed and dishonest practices, but to stand for the right to be heard when things are not what they seem!

DIANA WILLIAMS

Pembroke

A sickening knot

February 4, 2008

Dear Sir,

Thank you for allowing me the space to respond to the once again hate-filled letter titled "Barnett has Got it Wrong" by LaVerne Furbert. Week after week I read the letters submitted by Ms Furbert and week after week I get a sickening knot in my stomach in regards to the content that she spews onto the paper on which she composes her letters. After her last correspondence I find that I can no longer hold my tongue.

Ms Furbert states that it is the "indigenous Bermudian did not have a choice as to whether they should go to the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Barbados or wherever else slaves were taken. We were brought here and we the indigenous people have made Bermuda what it is today".

Firstly, the official definition of the word indigenous is "having originated in and being produced, growing, living, or occurring naturally in a particular region or environment." It is a fact that there is no population within our Island which can be considered as indigenous. Aborigines are indigenous to Australia as Native American Indians are indigenous to North America. Wild hogs, Cahows and Longtails are the indigenous population of Bermuda Ms Furbert and not any human life which exists here today.

Secondly, her statement seems to infer that her belief is that only black Bermudians are and can only be considered Bermudian, and that only through their contribution and undeniable hard work has created the prosperous society which we live in today. This idea is just, well, wrong.

This island has been a mix of races and cultures since its inception and the contribution of all these people have help created one of the most affluent economies that exist in the world today. This is true in present times as well. For, without these foreign workers and their employers present we wouldn't have the highest GDP in the world or the luxury of living in such a well-maintained paradise with a social infrastructure that rivals some of the world's leading powers.

On the other hand the presence of these extra persons does put a strain on our economic and social infrastructure. For example, there is no doubt that the outrageous price of housing is directly linked to the increasing number of foreign workers which arrive upon our shores.

Oh and just to clarify, Ms Furbert, I am a white/Portuguese Bermudian whose family owns no property in this island and whose mother has recently searched for property abroad because she has come to the realisation that we can never afford our own piece of the Rock, despite the fact that my family has been domiciled in Bermuda for many, many generations.

One last point on Ms Furbert's quote "why should these guest workers, and their employers, believe that they could set up camp indefinitely on Bermuda's shores?" I agree with you on the point of term limits for the employees, but to believe that companies should be given a time frame for their stay on this island is ridiculous. Such an act would actually, as I borrow a PLP MP quote, would be an act that would put Bermuda back into the "plantation days".

We would all be pulling carrots, onions and Easter lilies due to the absence of these institutions and a regression back into an agrarian based economy is inevitable due to the enormous amount of wealth, which they bring to our Island and which they can easily take away. I would rather have these companies here, which do afford vast opportunities in regards to career progression to the local (not indigenous) population of the island that we all, black and white, call home.

If you don't realise this I suggest you ask the Bermudians which are pro-active and take advantage of their presence. For I know people in my age range (I am 25), both black and white and all Bermudian, which have benefited greatly in their professional careers due to the presence of these companies, which transcend international borders. These same opportunities cannot be so easily found in countries such as the US, Canada or the UK. If you cannot see these benefits it is simply because you choose not to in order for you to continue with your unfounded rants.

BERMUDIAN

City of Hamilton

Appalled by waste

January 24, 2008

Dear Sir,

I have to write this letter as a point of principle. I am absolutely gobsmacked and appalled. On arriving to go to the gym (Thursday evening) at about 5 p.m., I parked my bike (unfortunately I did not have my car) outside the HSBC inside service ATM building and walked past Boyles towards Magnum Gym.

At first I couldn't believe my eyes! Lo and behold on the sidewalk, were a very large amount of empty shoe boxes (granted it is trash day in Hamilton this evening), but in addition to the trash (which was all over the sidewalk in a mess) were at least five to six very large boxes of shoes dumped in with the empty shoe boxes, containing at least 50 pairs of shoes I would estimate, probably more. No, not old shoes ... but brand new ¿ in perfect condition ¿ shoes. There is only one store on that stretch that sells shoes in that volume.

Absolute shame on Boyles for just throwing out perfectly good brand new shoes. Could they not have even bothered to perhaps call someone (Salvation Army perhaps, Hands of Love ... to name but two, let alone any local charity supplying to those in need here at home) to come and collect them, or, dare I say it, just take them round the corner up the street and put them outside the Salvation Army thrift store? What absolute wanton waste without a thought to those who might perhaps be able to use those shoes.

On my way out of the gym I was gratified to see a gentleman whom I am acquainted with, load up the boxes and say he would be sending them out to Africa. At the same time a lady came up and said that the Salvation Army was on their way to collect them.

Anyway, my point is that couldn't Boyles have had just a teeny tiny little bit of vision (honestly, it really doesn't take much!) in trying get rid of unwanted stock instead of just dumping it as trash on the sidewalk. Shame on Boyles!

APPALLED

Pembroke