Taking the high road

December 12, 2007

Dear Sir,

There have been frequent claims that this general election is being contested in a particularly dirty manner. As a result of numerous allegations of this kind, the impression is being created that both political parties have resorted to underhanded tactics, and the tendency is to assume that they must both be equally at fault.

But is that conclusion supported by the facts ? The UBP pledged that it would run a clean campaign, and it is my impression that they have done so. I cannot think of a single case where the UBP have made vicious personal attacks on the PLP or its members.

I cannot think of a single instance where the UBP have sought to vilify their opponents, whether individually or collectively. It hardly needs to be said, but the same is obviously not true of the PLP.

Your newspaper has many daily contacts with the Bermuda public and politicians of all stripes, and has no doubt gathered a great deal of anecdotal evidence on this topic. In the spirit of fairness, I therefore challenge you to back up your reporting, and to show me any instances where the UBP has taken the low road.

CONCERNED ON ORD ROAD

Warwick

It is about Independence

December 10, 2007

Dear Sir,

With all of the mud slinging and other things that go on during silly season, the real issue is being ignored, and or buried, and cleverly hidden. Hey Bermuda, wake up, the issue of Independence was raised and

The Premier's press secretary said it would be settled by referendum, this was then corrected by the Premier, who said it would be done by election. This was right in the middle of a lot of mudslinging. We have to carefully listen to what the Premier says, but more importantly we have to listen to what he does not say.

What he did not say was that it would be this election. The Premier also stated that he "would not spring it on us". Remember this is one of the politicians who stood before the press after the last election and stated": "We had to mislead you" to win the election.

In my opinion, if the PLP win this election, you can be sure that the Premier will say that the electorate gave him the mandate to take Bermuda to Independence. You can also be sure that he will not spring it on us, we will get at least six months notice.

So when you go to the polls on December 18, remember that each vote for the PLP is a vote for Independence. I believe Premier Brown will take us to Independence whether we want to go or not.

What size car and how many bodyguards will a president require?

R. POWELL

Warwick

Exercise democracy

December 12, 2007

Dear Sir,

A vote for the UBP next week does not mean that they will be in control of the Government for another 30 years, or even another ten years! The UBP has published a detailed election platform, filled with plans for which they are accountable to the people. If after four or five years the people don't feel they have fulfilled their promises then they can vote the UBP out. This is democracy.

Never again should one party stay in power long enough to become complacent, greedy or take the voters for granted. A regular exchange of power between parties is normal in the Caribbean, as well as the USA, Canada and England and should be encouraged here in Bermuda.

NOT THE LAST CHANGE

Warwick

God spoke to us

December 9, 2007

Dear Sir,

I have just come home from a fantastic evening of Gospel music, hosted by Gina Spence Productions This great event was held in the parking lot of Lindo's Family Foods in the heart of Warwick North-East, Constituency number 25. What was a surprise was that Andre Curtis was not there counting tourists. There were many there, some from Somerset and Southampton, some from way down in Hamilton Parish which is almost as far away as China! I can tell you who was there. The Lord was there. You go Gina!

WARWICK LIZARD

Polling station chaos

December 12, 2007

Dear Sir,

Chaos is the best word to describe yesterday inside the pre polling station.

First there should have been a microphone, so that Mr. Ball did not have to continually shout to ask for everyone's attention. The doors should have been closed and everyone should have had a briefing.

The doors opened and in the voters came. After the first few cast their vote came another shout while voters were there.

"Can I have your attention. Please keep the registration forms at your tables do not give them to the voters."

Then another shout: "Can everyone take all bags and belongings to the back." Then another shout: "Please direct voters to the back to cast their vote." Then another shout: "Do not leave your tables for bathroom or break unless you have a relief."

Shut the door, give all in the room a briefing, and then open the doors. It seemed utter confusion.

Agents sat at tables in their own district,and were later told to move, some sat at ends, and were then told to sit in the middle.

There seemed to be a lot of chiefs, hurling instructions, let's get it together on December 18.

VOTER

City of Hamilton

Worried about spending

December 11, 2007

Dear Sir,

What I find most surprising about the current election build up is that so few people seem to be concerned about the level of Government spending.

Every announcement that has been made promises more services, better this and better that with no indication of how it will be paid for. Dr. Brown made a bold announcement about free health care without even knowing what it will cost. As a doctor he should know better than most how expensive heath care is and that it's going to get worse. How irresponsible to make a commitment like that without doing the homework, unless of course he doesn't intend to follow through, but that's another issue.

At least the United Bermuda Party has some ideas about where to save and how to spend our money more effectively but the Progressive Labour Party continue to spend and promise to spend with absolutely no indication of how the money will be raised.

Perhaps it is because we do not pay income tax that the electorate does not seem to relate spending to taxes, but believe me, if revenue declines we will soon know about it. The PLP continue to tell us how great the economy is and how it is just scaremongering to be concerned about loss of business. Our economy will not collapse between a Friday and a Monday, it will erode over time as big business repositions itself in more competitive jurisdictions. Visitors will not suddenly stop coming but the numbers could very easily decline as North America heads into recession. All over the world people are getting caught in a credit crunch, and we in Bermuda, particularly our leaders, have become complacent and arrogant about money.

ALAN GAMBLE

City of Hamilton

It's about education

December 3, 2007

Dear Sir,

How much can you afford?

Can you afford five more years of declining educational standards where our children will continue to fail at such a rate that a whole generation of our kids won't be able to get any kind of well paying job?

The PLP government has always had it's roots firmly in the black working class people of Bermuda.

Martin L. King, and Nealson Mandela said that in order to break the shackles of poverty, education is the key. It is the PLP government who have betrayed the black people of this country.

With the amount of time and money the PLP have spent on education, our kids should be as well educated if not better ecducated than any of our private schools.

This alone should be enough to vote Dr. Brown's government out of power. The message must be sent to both parties that if you don't do the job properly in five years, you're out.

SANDY ROADS

Southampton

Same old stripes

December 5, 2007

Dear Sir,

Once again let me refer to an article that appeared in the Bermuda Sun, January 19, 2007, under the caption: "UBP must beat its perception problem – or pull the plug", written by Tom Vesey.

Mr. Vesey started his article by saying; and I quote, "Is the UBP still viable? Only if it can quickly kill the perception that it's a white party with black faces....If the UBP can't kill the perception – even if it's a complete false one - those opposed to the current PLP Governm,ent would be best served by pulling the plug and trying to start something new." Mr Vesey continued to say, "I thought the UBP had been making progress in shaking off its perception as 'the white party' that has cursed it pretty much from its inception in the 1960's.

In my previous letter to this column, I quoted Mr. Vesey when he described the UBP as a ready-made white political organisation tht black MP's take advantage of. From what Mr. Vesey said, we can understand why the UBP so ferociously deny the fact tht it is a white party. The denial is not by accident. It is a planned, designed, calculated and orchestrated strategy to fool the black community so as to get their votes, and nobody can deny this fact.

I believe that every white person in Bermuda is proud - some less; some more - to be white as though they had something to do with it: yet here is a situation where folks are shying away from being called white. You have blacks like Mr. Quinton Edness and Mrs. Albertha Waite who say that the UBP is not a white party and on the other hand, here is Tom Vesey, who is a white person, referring to the UBP as a white political organisation. What does this say to you Bermuda? This current UBP is full of tricks. deception is what keeps it alive, in thesame way that blood keeps the body alive. The black community is the target for all of its deception.

Those folks who say that the UBP is not a white party because it has black folks in it, will not hesitate to say that the PLP is a black party even though it has white folks in it.

Think about this Bermuda. Putting a horse into a garage does not turn the garage into a stable; and neither does it turn the horse into a motor car. Some black faces in a white party do not necessarily change the white party from being a white party. Isn't this what Tom Vesey has ascribed to?

RENDOL JAMES

Sandys

Questions for MPs

December 11, 2007

Dear Sir,

This election is not about race … it is about issues and results. I have two questions for all candidates:

1. Do you believe corruption is illegal?

2. If you suspect corruption, are you prepared to fight it?

If candidates cannot answer these questions with emphatic and non-qualified "yeses", they cannot expect to get elected.

ROBIN HAMILL

Hamilton Parish