Bring back the 'old' UBP

January 26, 2007

Dear Sir,

The rumour being promulgated by defecting former UBP members stating that a shadowy cabal of white establishment figures controls the UBP is not true. The UBP is — as it always has been — controlled by the UBP members elected to the Legislature. What is true is that there is a cabal of former prominent UBP members who seek to control the elected members of the UBP. They are not shadowy and are not predominately white and conspicuous among them is former Premier John Swan.

The founders and early leaders of the UBP were motivated more by the wish to further the public good rather than by the wish for personal aggrandisement but the leaders during the 1980s and 1990s were the other way around. Those who brought this change about now form this disenchanted and destructive cabal and the UBP is stronger without them. It will be in the best interest of Bermuda if the Leader of the Opposition and his supporters are successful in their valiant efforts to reassert into our political arena the former UBP ideals of integrity and service.

WILLIAM M. COX

A massive disservice

January 23, 2007

Dear Sir,

Believe it or not, but I am now breaking my silence since Election, 2003. Of course your readers have been forever after me, telling me that they haven't seen anything from me in the paper lately. Well here I go. First of all let me say well done to the PLP for choosing Dr. Ewart Brown to lead the party and ultimately the country. Dr. Brown at the helm of the PLP with Ms Cox as Deputy has to be seen as a noose around the neck of the UBP. Little wonder therefore that there has been an orchestrated campaign by the UBP to down play the boost that Dr. Brown has brought to the PLP. Christian Dunleavy said in one of his columns to excuse him for not sharing in the excitement.

At least he acknowledged the fact that there is an excitement about Dr. Brown becoming the leader. There has been a relentless attack on both Brown and the PLP, coming from the UBP.

It is almost unbelievable how quickly and suddenly the tide has changed for the UBP, for the ditch that they seem to be digging for the PLP, they have fallen into it themselves with the dramatic departure of Mr. Jamahl Simmons, Mr. David Dunkley and Ms Gwyneth Rawlins in rapid succession. The UBP is now upside down. In October when the PLP was going through the process of changing its Leader, Mr. Wayne Furbert was like a hawk saying that the PLP was split and that it could not govern and that the UBP should be made the government. Today there is a loud cry in the UBP for a change of leadership. Is that a split?

Concerning the departure of Mr. Simmons, Mr. David Dunkley and Ms Gwyneth Rawlins, Mr. Furbert, Mr. Michael Dunkley and now Mrs. Gina Spence-Farmer and Mrs. Louise Jackson would have us to believe that race had nothing to do with it. They callously dismiss the allegations as categorically untrue and downright malicious. Mr. Editor this is a let-down and an insult of great magnitude to the black people of this Country. Mr. Furbert and Mr. Michael Dunkley played the part of President George W. Bush, when coming up to the mid-term election in the US last year, he told the American people that America was winning the war in Iraq.

The people knew differently and sent him a message in the election that he will never forget. I hope that Bermuda and more so the black people of Bermuda will sent the United Bermuda Party a message in the next election like that which the American people sent President Bush. The UBP does not deserve a single vote from the black community except those of the black candidates who will still run for that Party.

Mr. Michael Dunkley is quick to pounce on the present government to launch an investigation into anything that seems to have a negative effect on the government. This was a classic case for which the UBP should have launched an investigation but instead it was a down right denial and a callous dismissal of everything from the get-go. This is a failure and a massive disservice to the black community. Just recently, Mr. Furbert shared with the country some things that the UBP would do if it was to be made the government.

One of them was to put something in place to protect whistle blowers. Now the whistle has been blown on the UBP before it becomes the government, this is how they treat the whistle blowers (if we can call them that). The whistle blowers have been made to look like the bad guys by the UBP. Take note Bermuda; and more so the black people of Bermuda. Thank you Mr. Editor.

RENDOL JAMES

Sandys

Why did my car fail?

January 20, 2007

Dear Sir,

My car failed its annual TCD inspection recently. The reason? Mis-matched paint. For a 1996 car, it's mechanically sound (serviced every ten months and well kept), but it did have a few areas on the paintwork that needed attention. So after painting these areas I was confident that it would be roadworthy, but I was wrong. Obviously, some slightly mis-matched paint (white on white) clearly means that the car should not be on the road. Even if the car was an eyesore (which it's not), should this really be a reason to fail what should be a test to ensure that the vehicle is mechanically sound, and not likely to cause an accident?

Or maybe I'm missing the point, maybe someone looking at my car may fall off their bike because they're disgusted at the sight of the mis-matched paintwork, and that is why it failed. A re-spray is approximately $1000. Could TCD kindly explain why mis-matched paint is such an issue, especially considering two-tone cars are allowed on Bermuda roads? Yours faithfully,

FAILED

Warwick