New national hero

October 26, 2010

Dear Sir,

I would like to make my nomination for Bermuda's National Hero: Heather Matthews, Auditor General ... and to Gov. Richard Gozney, "Thank you, sir."

AN HONEST CITIZEN

Paget

Wanted: A leader for all

October 26, 2010

Dear Sir,

Now, more than ever is the time for the people of Bermuda to have a voice and make a difference. We have all experienced the power that one person can exert on a country and effectively stifle the voices that should be heard.

But power can be handled in different ways. It goes with governance and strengthens the citizens' ability to act. To quote the outgoing Governor General of Canada, Michaelle Jean, Haitian born but a Canadian citizen: "People are the backbone of our society. It's the citizens. It's citizen action. There is nothing more important for the world and for society, for humanity, than to return to the values of solidarity, brotherhood, citizenship, living together, working together, respect and combining our efforts."

We as Bermudian citizens have the power to make a change for the better and to elect a leader who will truly serve its people in a way that will benefit the whole.

SUSAN BLACK

Paget

Probe capital spending

October 24, 2010

Dear Sir,

With Ms Heather Jacobs-Matthews' latest disturbing report on Government's overspending of the $5 million come $15 million, Shadow Attorney General Trevor Moniz is correct in calling for Police to investigate.

Not only should they investigate this sorry state of affairs, but all other overruns going back to the Berkley Institute as well as a "revisit" investigation into the BHC scandal. They should also investigate questionable purchases such as the ferries along with what Bermuda got for taking in the four Uighurs.

What will it take for Bermudians to wake up and see what's going on in this Island? These investigations should have taken place the minute the overrun figures were known, but no, we sit back and wait to see what the other person is going to do.

In the past six years Bermuda has been raped over and over again and more so in the past four years with some black Bermudians defending this type of behaviour. One caller to a talk show put it something like this, "When it comes to black people, it seems OK to be raped by a black person rather than a white person." Rape is rape regardless of who is doing the raping. How stupid can some people be?

Some people don't have the intelligence to realise that these overruns of millions of dollars is taking away from their needs and the country's needs. We as blacks have come a long way, but by God, we still have a long way to go.

I have said it before and I'll say it again. I personally don't care who runs this country. The only thing that I expect is that it is run for the good of the people and not to make an elite few millionaires of the public purse as seems to be the case of the day.

The Auditor General should not stop – nor should she be stopped in her search for the truth in the mismanagement of the public purse, and if she is attacked for doing her job as the former Auditor General was, all Bermuda should take to the streets in protest and in favour of the job that she is doing.

In this latest disturbing revelation, once again the Cabinet is silent and they should be ashamed of themselves. Not a peep from the Cabinet Ministers or the backbenchers – only the Opposition is saying anything and that is not enough. What a unch of jokers we have as leaders in the Government! Just think about it – all of these people have the word Honourable in front of their names and so I ask you, where is the honour?

Unfortunately, for some time now, Bermuda has been run as a one man show with a bunch of people who only seem interested in collecting a pay cheque, a pay cheque that comes out of our pockets, and they do absolutely nothing for it plus, some you never hear a word about anything concerning the mismanagement of Bermuda from because most of them do not want to lose their only "job" –these people should resign. There is the saying that when good men do nothing, bad things happen. Bad things have happened to Bermuda and don't give me that lame excuse the UBP did it. What the UBP did is kindergarten stuff – but what has gone on with the TCD and other Government projects, smells of fraud and corruption.

Mr. Moniz in his interview with this newspaper regarding the Auditor General also stated: :She hasn't gone deep enough. What we need is a forensic audit, which I called for a year ago. There is a clear indication of the possibility of fraud and corruption and it needs to be investigated."

PAT FERGUSON

Warwick

Overspending no surprise

October 24, 2010

Dear Sir,

Please allow me to submit the following to your letters section:

I read with concern the Premier and Transport Minister's reply in the newspaper, where he rebuts the Auditor General's report on the TCD and Emissions project. Once again, Bermuda receives a damning report on another runaway capital project, costing the public purse millions of dollars, at a time when Bermuda can ill-afford to waste money.

The fact that there is any defence postured for a project that is over-budget by 66 percent is absurd to begin with. Premier Brown's main defence for this appears to be the cost of inflation and the changes during the construction phase.

Just as an exercise, I utilised an inflation calculator provided by the US Government's website. In the US, inflation only makes for a cost adjustment of $1 million between 2001 and 2008. Being generous, given the fact that this is Bermuda, that figure even tripled leaves for at least $7 million unaccounted for through inflation. Exactly how many changes were made during the construction phase? Was one of those changes to build a secret TCD in an unknown location, perhaps for the ruling class that does not want to wait in any lines like a mere taxpayer?

How can authority be given to an engineer to approve changes in a public project where those changes are doubled, even almost tripled? Shouldn't the Minister of Finance have at least some say in this, and if so I would like to hear her reasons for not having a say. How is this being financially prudent? How is this looking after Bermuda's welfare during a time when the economy was about to tank, or does the Minister of Finance equate to a mere figurehead with one hand blocking her eyes and the other hand wielding a rubber stamp? A veritable cog in the wheel.

Overspending comes as no surprise from the current Government any more. The fact that Dr. Brown found fault with the Auditor General releasing the report to the public domain, instead of waiting for the House to be back in session is surprising. The Auditor General released a public report, showing a massive misuse of the public purse. Why should we, the public, not have immediate access to it? By what right should this report only be submitted to our MP's, to be debated ad-nauseum until it is forgotten, with no outcome and no change in the way Government conducts its business? How is this operating as transparently as possible? This report was released in the correct manner, to the right people – the Bermudian public. If we don't hold our elected leaders accountable, then what is going to happen when larger projects come online? If this Government's history is a tell-tale, then the $1 billion debt we are currently servicing will just be the beginning.

SEAN SOARES

Bermuda Democratic Alliance

Take responsibility

October 24, 2010

Dear Sir,

Has anything good come out of the public school system? Yes. In case you hadn't noticed, the backbone of Bermuda is made up of people educated in the public school system. Therefore, something must have been right. I have no problem with the curriculum, or the teachers.

Children must take some responsibility for their own learning. Parents must take some responsibility for their child's learning. They are at school for approximately seven hours a day, five days a week. That's all the time teachers have with them! Yet, they are the ones being unfairly called to be accountable.

In a class, teachers are called upon to teach children at both ends of the spectrum and, that isn't enough, they have to deal with a range of behavioural problems. Is it too much to ask parents to send their children to school with the right attitude, proper social skills and respect for people older than they are? That would help tremendously. Then, take an active part in their learning.

Parents, when driving your child to school (anywhere, for that matter) instead of listening to unintelligible music and lyrics, test your child's numeracy, literacy, critical thinking, general knowledge, life skills in a fun way. Let them "soak up" something useful instead of the latest song.

So, people, please stop bashing the public school system.

KEEN OBSERVER

Devonshire

Great Bermuda books

Prospective Bermuda visitor Whit Hendon wrote to The Royal Gazette asking for advice on what constituted "the quintessential Bermuda novel". Here are the two replies received so far:

October 25, 2010

Dear Sir,

If Mr. Whit Hendon wants to read a "quintessential Bermudan novel" I guarantee that he will love "Pink Rock". Everyone that has read it seems to love it. That includes many Bermudians and non-Bermudians, as well as members of the Bermuda Rotary Clubs. I have made fantastic descriptions of Bermuda's natural beauty and the hospitality of its people a cornerstone of the story. It's available at www.PinkRockTheBook.com (and Bermuda bookstores) and I will refund his money if he is disappointed!

RON LACEY

Author, "Pink Rock"

Massapequa, NY U.S.A.

October 25, 2010

Dear Sir,

I would suggest reading "The Shipwreck That Saved Jamestown" (The Sea Venture Castaways and the Fate of America) by Lorri Glover and Daniel Blake Smith. Published in 2008, this is a well-researched historical novel which puts in founding of Bermuda in its historical context. A page-tuner – even though one knows the eventual outcome.

CATHY LAPSLEY

City of Hamilton