We are failing our youth

September 16, 2010

Dear Sir,

You have given a lot of space in articles and photos this past week to our esteemed Premier, Minister of Tourism and Minister of Transport, Dr. Ewart Brown, JP, MP, who obviously enjoys being photographed with so called VIPs. It is regrettable that an opportunity was missed which would have had a great deal more impact on the local community and the youth in particular. In August, four young people participated in the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. These young people attained a degree of competence that allowed them to achieve a winning place in the team, and represent their country, was fantastic. These young people worked hard, training many hours for many months, not knowing whether they would have the opportunity or not. The fact they did not get any medals is beside the point, however, two of them were in medal contention.

Some reports were given by the media, certainly not the coverage our losing football and cricket teams get. These young people arrived back on August 28th and what a wonderful thing it would have been for them to be greeted by their Premier and Minister for Youth and Sport. Press, TV cameras etc. were not present to recognise their achievements either. It was not to be, but they don't have a vote. (Yet!) Another missed opportunity was in the Youth Olympic Village. Each country had a booth with information on that country. I was interested in what Bermuda had to offer.

The booth was manned by a very nice Singaporean teacher and about five students, who greeted me when I approached the booth. I asked one student Bermuda where is it? I was informed it was in the Atlantic Ocean and off the coast of Florida. I promptly told the student I was from Bermuda so that I would not embarrass her by giving me incorrect information. I spent about fifteen minutes giving them correct information.

They had done a commendable job; however, it would have been wonderful had the Department of Tourism sent out a short video on a DVD and given a supply of posters and Bermuda lapel pins to give out to visitors to the booth. Cost? Less than $1000.00. When so much is wasted on a Washington office left empty and so many others, that to catalogue them would fill up your newspaper, it really highlights that the time for change is way overdue. When our youth do something positive, please let them be recognised. We are failing our youth. I may add that none of these four athletes failed a drug test! It appears that cannot be said for our cricketers and footballers.

ANTONY SIESE

City of Hamilton

Ban net fishing

September 16, 2010

Dear Sir,

Please allow me a moment to reflect on fishing in our beautiful island. Many have said that fish pots have caused the depletion of fish in our waters. Many countries worldwide that have more fish surrounding their waters rarely depend on bait fish; but rely on the vast amount of plankton that various fish feed on. Here in Bermuda, we have veered away from this method and instead depend on bait fish that swim in our shores and are preyed on by other larger fish. We have adapted to method of allowing cast net fishing in our waters both on shoreline and in bays.

Cast net fishing targets the smaller bait fish, however it has evolved into the basis of elimination of larger fish which are in the vicinity of these nets and often swooped up while attempting to chase the bait fish. Many are left with smaller fish to take home for dinner not enough to satisfy a family of two!

Back in the day, we could easily spot mackerel, jacks, bonitas, robins, anchovies and large fries populating our shores. Where are they today? I place this blame as a direct impact of net fishing. We must put emphasis on banning cast net fishing before we target fish pots as the culprit of the depletion in our shores. I want my grandchildren to live and experience the beauty of our waters and all the magnificent fish that help to populate it.

ROBERT SMITH

Hamilton Parish

Debate on drugs when...

September 11, 2010

Dear Sir,

Today (September 11, 2010) is a very fitting day for me to respond to MP Ashfield DeVent's question "if not now, when?" to debate the legalisation of marijuana. Nine years ago today, my brother was buried here in Bermuda after being shot and killed in the US for wanting to get out of the drug transport life. You may think because of that I might think it is the right time for a debate, but knowing for a fact that for him marijuana at the age of 13 was the gateway drug to his death, I know this is not the time. I will tell you when we can start this debate on drugs. We can start the debate when we have an education system that works.

Not one that works for only the best and brightest but one that works for every child and adult in Bermuda. Because of the failings of the current and past governments, we now have at least two generations of adults without ample education or skills to support them to get any job, let alone a good job. We need a Government that will support education for both adults and children as a priority, not one that will keep moving the goalposts or implementing new systems for the sake of it.

We can start the debate on drugs when we have a Government that will implement policies that work for everyone. Once again, not just for one sector of the country but for every sector of the country. Yes the current Government has given us free day care, free bus rides and fast ferries with one hand, but has taken away the right of other Bermudians to own and sell their homes in a way that works for them on the other.

We can start the debate on drugs when we have let the public know that some of the financial failings of the government have been due to the shortsightedness of the policies that have been put in place. Raising the payroll tax from 14 percent to 16 percent, while only two percentage points, is actually a 14.25 percent increase in rate of payroll tax. (Don't believe it? $1,000 x 14 percent = $140; $1,000 x 16 percent = $160, a 14.25 percent increase in the tax. A two percent increase would have meant that your payroll tax on $1,000 would have gone up by .28 cents, not $20!) What will this do? It will hurt the employee and reduce government revenues, because companies will not only pass some of the cost onto their employees, but they will also have to find extreme ways to reduce costs. This will include employing staff in other jurisdictions and cutting the number of jobs in Bermuda.

We can start the debate on drugs when we have a health care system where costs are within reason. I know of a retail business where the benefits costs of the part time employee are more than the actual take home pay. The good news for that particular employee, is that the employer has decided to pay all of the expenses. With payroll tax, HIP, Social Insurance, government pension and private pension some employees cannot afford to go to the doctor's office as they have no money to pay for the client portion of the visit. We can start the debate on drugs when we start telling our children the truth of our history about those who have gone before us.

The history of struggles and success of both the black and white communities in Bermuda. We can tell the truth that it takes everyone to make Bermuda a better place, no matter the colour of the person. We can start the debate on drugs when we start valuing everyone equally. When we ensure that the basic human rights of every individual in Bermuda are properly protected. MP DeVent, that is when we can start the debate on the decriminalisation of drugs, but certainly not today.

SHARON BAILIE

Bermuda Democratic Alliance

Thank you, Royal Navy

September 18, 2010

Dear Sir,

I won't waste my breath being critical of the Premier; it has no value and serves no purpose. Sadly, although the Premier missed the opportunity in his recent speech from the luxury and safety of The Hamilton Princess, can I on behalf of many people here, offer a public thank you to the 280 guys and girls on board the Royal Navy ship HMS Manchester who were standing by to assist us should we need their help post Igor. The seas must have been rough wherever they were; a thankless task, and someone should say "thanks".

SMITH'S

Writer was too harsh

September 16, 2010

Dear Sir,

Come now, Mrs. W, methinks you are too harsh. The car receives a thrashing because someone made himself too accessible to the public? Maybe not Monty Python, but Fawlty Towers at its finest. Yours with the boxed set,

ANDREW R. DOBLE

Hamilton Parish

Our next Premier

September 16, 2010

Dear Sir,

I remember years ago when the circus came to Bermuda in the early 1960s. It set up in White Hill and was a great event at the time: a proper entertainment of fun and clowns and acrobats and so on. Fast-forward to the weekend of 11th/12th September 2010 and another circus comes to town, this one being the soon-to-be-ex-Premier's "Gala Farewell" of bombastic and self-idolising pageantry of what can only be described as a homage to surrealism, a hoopla of razzle-dazzle flimflammery the likes of which owes more to Alice Through the Looking Glass than to the reality of Ringleader Brown's premiership of the past four years.

But the point is this: now that the smoke and mirrors and all-singing all-dancing tragicomic carnival of this premiership is coming to a thankful conclusion, Bermuda might hope to get a premier who actually gets down and dirty to the nitty-gritty of what to do about the state of Bermuda today: to raise the standard of public education as the number one priority; to resolve not just "address", or "deal with", but resolve the menace of gang violence and criminality; to get the public purse in order; to listen to the people, respond to their concerns and serve their best interests; and above all, to accomplish things for all Bermuda and all Bermudians rather than in his or her own interest which has predominated since the October 30, 2006.

GRAHAM FAIELLA

London, UK

Thinking of Bermuda

September 17, 2010

Dear Sir,

God speed to you all as Igor approaches. I hope that the damage is only to things, that it is small, and that folks are safe. All of us who have very fond memories of the people and places on your island will think of you through this.

DONNA RICCI

Hudson, Massachusetts

Headline was not clear

September 15, 2010

Dear Sir,

The headline on Page 5 of The Royal Gazette, September 15 Psychiatrist outlines MWI's reform plans for Rotarians does not make clear that the outline, rather than the plans, was of benefit to this fine organisation.

CLIVE DAKIN

City of Hamilton

Kudos to cabbie T1441

September 16, 2010

This was sent to Mr. Leroy Frith (Taxi driver No. T1441) and copied to The Royal Gazette.

Dear Sir,

Thank you so much for returning my wallet that I dropped in your taxi on August 19, 2010. I greatly appreciate your effort to return the wallet. I was on holiday for four days in Bermuda and was disappointed that I lost it with my identification, insurance cards and driver's licence. I did enjoy my stay in Bermuda even with this setback; we snorkelled and enjoyed much good food. You have a wonderful and picturesque island for holidays and I know that we Americans enjoy our visits. It is nice to know that honesty and integrity are still traits of the service personnel that you demonstrated. I look forward to future return trips. Once more, thank you.

BRUCE C. KEATING

Kingsville, Maryland

It's in our blood

September 18, 2010

Dear Sir,

Short note for David Burch. Sen. Burch, I suggest you speak to some old-time Bermudians who were on the Island in 1948, October 7 to be precise. I was six years old when the Island was hit directly by a Hurricane with winds at times over 120 mph. Back then we did not have names for hurricanes, at least I do not remember the name other than I heard a lot of Bermudians calling her Son of a B****. My mother and I lived on Angle Street in an apartment. My grandparents lived on Victoria Street just before the intersection of Court street. There used to be two little cottages there. My mother got scared during the start of the hurricane and decided to walk to my grandparents on Victoria Street! What a walk that was. At six years old it was exciting and it was scary. By the time we got to my grandparents of course we were both soaked to the bone.

There was no loss of life, lot of trees down and the normal damage associated with a Hurricane. Bermudian construction workers (housebuilders) working with the stone from the quarries could hold their own with any country. A lot of these men were self taught! Those homes are still standing today, I am sure. On Happy Valley Road Jessie Camara had a carpentry shop, it was a wooden building, a well built wooden building and that building withstood the tempest. I do believe that the Bermudian people will do fine with Igor. It is in a Bermudian's blood to deal with the Tempest, any kind of tempest. God Bless you all.

MICHAEL E. PITTS

Inverness, Florida

Praise for WestJet

September 16, 2010

Dear Sir,

I was surprised to read that WestJet has cut back its flights to and from Bermuda due to lack of passengers. I could understand cutting back due to a winter schedule but not due to lack of passengers. Those who haven't taken WestJet don't know what they are missing! I recently had the opportunity to fly WestJet to Canada and back and found it a very comfortable airline. I had to pay for the extra leg room in economy but it was worth it and it was half of what the flight would have been had I gone by Air Canada. The airline smelt fresher, the seat were leather and comfortable and though I didn't choose to eat anything they provided me with a cool drink and a choice of a snack if I so wished it. What plane gives you a snack these days? Unless you are flying business class or first class, you are only offered a free soda/juice but anything else you pay for. I hear the airlines are soon going to be charging for sodas and even water!

The crew was extremely friendly and patient and went over the emergency procedures with me as I was sitting in bulkhead over the wing and would have been the person who would open the emergency door should such a situation demand that of me. Turbulence was at a minimum though no one can predict when we will hit that. I slept all the way back and have nothing but praise for them.

My flight arrival was later than Air Canada which was the only thing I didn't like but other than that it was a much better priced airline than Air Canada. I am sorry to hear they are cutting back, but hopefully they won't find the Bermuda route unprofitable and drop it all together what a shame it would be to have to pay such high prices to continue going back and forth to Canada on Air Canada when we now finally have a second option. Previously I would use Delta and go via the US with three stops to get to the west coast to get a better fare which is exhausting, but for the price difference if I can't have WestJet I will do Delta. Air Canada needs to drop their prices to Bermuda so more Canadians can afford to come here and so others wanting to experience Canada don't have to go into the poor house to afford it.

WEST JET OR DELTA ANY DAY

Pembroke