A simple question

December 7, 2007

Dear Sir,

Here's a simple question for Bermudians to reflect upon. If Dr. Brown and his party were to lose the election would he stay in politics?

PENTAPUS

Pembroke

Disgusted by PLP ad

December 8, 2007

Dear Sir,

I have lived nearly my entire life in Bermuda and I have never ever heard anything as offensive on local TV, or indeed anywhere else, as the PLP's "I'm your puppet" so-called party political broadcast.

It was openly racist, highly insulting to all of those portrayed, and I fail to see why it isn't banned by the Broadcasting Commission or Cure. Certainly if I was Wayne Scott, Mark Pettingill or Michael Dunkley I would be seeking redress for slander.

A party political broadcast is the chance for the electorate to hear what the party intends to achieve if they get elected. This ad told us nothing other than the fact that there are no depths too low for the PLP to stoop in order to try to hold on to power at any cost. Any cost? Yes ¿ huge cost to each and every Bermudian.

If the Bermudian electorate is foolish enough to return a PLP government, then we can obviously expect nothing less than another term of posturing, more spin, wanton squandering of our tax dollars, and a continued steady decline in values in all levels of society. Add to all that ¿ open racism on our TV screens. It would be almost unbelievable if it weren't so sad.

ELSPETH A. BREWIN

Hamilton Parish

UBP out of step

December 5, 2007

Dear Sir,

I would like to briefly draw your attention to the pre-election promise by the UBP to scrap the "double jeopardy rule", thereby permitting the re-prosecution of individuals previously acquitted of criminal offences.

Surely someone has pointed out to Mr. Dunkley and his political handlers that the rule against double jeopardy is enshrined in section 6(5) of the Bermuda Constitution, is now a part of customary international law, and will not be changed for Bermuda except perhaps on Independence? Should that ever become the case, Bermuda would be entirely out of step with now well-established, indeed hallowed, principles relating to the administration of criminal justice.

In short, such a move would be entirely unconstitutional and in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.

As you know, as the result of your recent coverage of those horrific events, I have recently had occasion to recall the events of December 1977 and the entirely mendacious and wicked behaviour of the United Bermuda Party in the events leading up to and surrounding that dark place in our history. I recall how the shame of being associated with a bunch of boldfaced and uncaring liars, led me to resign my own position as Deputy Chairman of the UBP and to cross over to the Progressive Labour Party. Then, as now, the UBP would prefer to throw out the baby of justice along with the bathwater of political pandering and pretense.

Instead of declaring war on the causes of crime, the UBP are now playing to the worst instincts of some of our people in the hope that by threatening to send away "for life" even more of our young men, they can gain political advantage. For shame!

Tell us more about how much you have changed, UBP? Tell us more.

JULIAN HALL

Atlanta. Georgia

UBP started decline

December 6, 2007

Dear Sir,

Does the UBP forget that the public education system started going downhill after the Mega School was introduced? And this was introduced under what party? It is because of this decision I have to contemplate putting my daughter into private school. If the UBP want to put the blame on someone for the education system failing ¿ take a good look at the man in the mirror!!!

GRIZZLY

Devonshire

What would Jesus do?

December 9, 2007

Dear Sir,

The hatred that has been expressed by certain individuals, whether black or white, female or male, politician or non-politician, via reporting in this newspaper and speeches in the run-up to the general election, has given me the impetus to share a view which I hope will be of some benefit to your readers.

Politicians and the voting public should ask the following question prior to going to the polls: Are my actions and the actions of candidates in my constituency (e.g. SDO approvals and their environmental impact), inactions (e.g. the refusal of MPs to be subject to drug testing, whereas those who participate in recreational sports do not have a choice) and values reflective of Jesus Christ and His ideals? No one is free from sin, however, we should do our best to act in accordance with God's will. We should also remember that everyone is created in God's image and that God does not judge us by the colour of our skin.

The Holy Spirit, as a light which shines in the darkness, is ever present to provide guidance to all. We need to open our hearts to receive this gift. It is our obligation to help those who are less fortunate than us, whether this involves monetary support, companionship or simply a kind word. Closer to home during election time, our obligations include, but are certainly not limited to, the provision of affordable housing and a good education. God has commanded us to love our neighbours as ourselves. That does not leave room for hatred, nor is this commandment waived during election times. As it is written in the book of 2 Peter, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night¿". Of the many versions of the Bible which exist, I have yet to find an interpretation which allows a grace period during election times.

As my niece read during Church this morning: "Let us pray: Almighty God, we look forward to your coming, for you will bring peace to this struggling world. Help us to bring this peace by keeping our minds on you. Amen."

PHILIP A. THORNE

Warwick

Deluded taxpayers

December 6, 2007.

Dear Sir,

Several people have criticised my recent letter to the Editor when I wrote that a family of four pays an average annual tax bill of around $56,000, or more than $1,000 per week.

The critics assert that companies pay much of our taxes and, therefore, the amount paid by a family is much less. That view is, of course, nonsense. Concrete and windows do not pay taxes, people do. Corporations do not pay taxes; they are a legal construction built around a set of human beings; all they do is collect taxes on behalf of Government. When companies collect taxes at least four lots of people suffer the pain:

1. Shareholders ¿ through smaller dividends;

2. Customers ¿ because of higher prices;

3. Employees ¿ because they are not paid as much;

4. Companies can go out of business ¿ we have had a lot of that recently in the hotel industry.

But getting back to the $56,000 a year confiscation, the situation is really worse than I originally indicated, because when an interest rate of seven percent is factored in, and the levy calculated over a ten-year period, the average family, using compound interest, will pay $938,042.04 in taxes. This calculation may be checked at http://www.moneychimp.com/articles/finworks/fmfutval.htm;

Would it not be better to allow people to keep more of their income so that they could own their own home? After all $938,042.04 is not chickenfeed. Nope, is the answer of the present Government. That would mean that the power of the politicians would be reduced and we cannot have that. It is much better to keep them poor, and keep them discontented.

Government forcibly taking from one group of people and giving it to another group of people is theft. If it is wrong for a citizen to use a mask and gun to steal directly from someone else, it must be equally wrong to steal indirectly by using government as a middleman. Government theft is not made morally correct by using lofty phrases like income redistribution or assisting the poor.

Government bureaucrats are past masters in making taxpayers feel guilty as they pick their pockets. They use the following verbal technique:

"Need" means wanting someone else's money;

"Greed" means wanting to keep your own earnings; and

"Compassion" means when politicians pass laws to transfer the loot, mainly to their supporters.

Such behaviour follows the principle in Ancient Greece recommended by Damonides at the time of Pericles (495 - 429 BC). In order to increase his popularity Pericles decided that he would make large gifts to the people. When the $64 question arose as to where the money was to come from, and how the freebies were to be financed, Damonides, a cynical adviser, came up with a jackpot answer. He said: "Give the fools presents from their own property."

Fast forward from BC to 2007 AD, and we can see that Damonides is now the Minister of Finance; Pericles is the Premier; and the fools are the Bermuda taxpayers. Fools ¿ because taxpayers pay for trips to China for our political betters, fancy cars to massage their egos, and expensive consultants. The naïve taxpayer gives up a down-payment for a Bermuda home.

Under the PLP the four fundamental principles of Bermudian finance are now:

1. We want everything,

2. We want it now,

3. We want it for free, and

4. If it is not free we want someone else to pay for it.

Government is now the fiction whereby everyone lives at the expense of everyone else.

It is as if we were standing in a giant circle with everyone's hand in everyone else's pocket with the guys at the top siphoning off big bucks as commission. Few people have learned the lesson that there is no such thing as something for nothing.

In economic matters, the public cannot stand too much reality. They prefer to take refuge with the PLP in myths, delusions, lies, wishful thinking, or just plain nonsense.

Modern Bermuda is not really much different from Ancient Greece.

ROBERT STEWART

Smith's Parish

Time to change the guard

December 4, 2007

Dear Sir,

I would like to commend the author of "Vote for Change" (Royal Gazette, December 1) for pointing out so clearly the significance of the forthcoming election for our collective future.

The PLP's election victory in November 1998 was hugely important for Bermuda, and marked the beginning of a new era in Bermuda's history. We finally came of age as a democracy, and there will be no turning back the many important social changes which the PLP victories in 1998 and 2003 made possible and brought about.

Whether one is a PLP supporter or a UBP supporter, there is no doubt that the PLP victories have had some healthy social consequences. The UBP finally experienced the judgment of the people, and paid the price for its arrogance and complacency and a multitude of other sins over the previous 30 years.

To its credit, the UBP appears to have recognised that in order to be relevant politically and offer a meaningful alternative to the PLP, the UBP needed to make quite fundamental changes in its thinking and approach.

Unfortunately, despite the promising start made by the Governments led by Dame Jennifer and Alex Scott, there is now no hiding the fact the government led by Dr. Brown is a profound disappointment, and its worst excesses now threaten our future. The Brown government has escalated racial tension, intimidated and alienated foreign workers, attacked the fundamental right to freedom of expression, openly sought to intimidate its critics, failed to deal convincingly with the taints of graft, cronyism and corruption, arrested and harassed the Auditor and shown its lack of political skill and maturity by openly insulting the Governor.

We can all see this quite clearly, whether we are UBP supporters or PLP supporters or expatriate workers or the CEOs of international companies or Bermuda's competitors in other offshore jurisdictions.

Let there be no misunderstanding about the serious consequences of the Brown government's ethical and political shortcomings. We are fast approaching a defining moment in the life of this Island. The world is watching. Our friends are hoping we come to our senses. Our friends are hoping we have the emotional intelligence and political maturity to withdraw our support for Dr. Brown's government, and to vote for change.

Bermudians urgently need to send an emphatic message as members of a community whose futures are all bound up together, that our values are more important than our traditional political allegiances It is time for a changing of the guard.

BUSINESS LAWYER

City of Hamilton

All I see is red (ink)

December 8, 2007

Dear Sir,

Free day care, free buses, free ferries, free university education, and interest-free down payments for 500 first time home buyers, funding for increased manpower in the Bermuda Police Service, payroll tax reduction and tax incentives for small and large business as well¿ Have I forgotten anything Dr. Brown? This sounds like Paradise!

Unfortunately all I see is red. As Woodrow Wilson once said: "The way to stop financial joy-riding is to arrest the chauffeur, not the automobile."

RED

St. George's