Free bus fallout

May 11, 2009

Dear Sir,

Those years seem to have gone when an adult boarded the bus/ferry and if there were no seats available the youth would show respect and stand up, in allowing "their senior" to sit down. Today put forward this suggestion; if schoolchildren can travel for free, then there ought to be a law that they stand when there are no seats available for the paying adults who are either off to work or coming from work. In many cases, after they have been standing practically all day on their jobs.

JUST ANOTHER COMPLAINING TAXPAYER

St. George's

Not too late to see

May 10, 2009

Dear Sir,

In a few weeks, on June 5, here at the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art, we will be closing our current exhibition – "32N/64W A Revelation; Bermuda's Black Artistic Legacy". This is the first of our two heritage shows this year. I invite anyone who hasn't had the chance to see this celebration of the talents of Black Bermudian artists to come to the Museum. This show has attracted Bermudians from all walks of life as well as visitors, all of whom have been amazed by the depth and diversity of expression found on our island. Comments such as "What a show – makes Bermudians proud!", and "Great contribution to Bermuda" have come from Bermudian residents and "A gift for the eye, the heart and soul", and "Thank you for the hi-light of our Bermudian visit" from our visitors.

In particular when visiting the museum, don't miss our Living History videos on "Charles Lloyd Tucker" and "Shinbone Alley" on display with the main show. These videos are soon to be aired on VSB and CITV. Inspiration from the show has generated various workshops, classes, and discussion sessions, and our classroom has been in constant use with many people enjoying the experience of art for the first time. We have had brisk foot traffic since the show's opening in February, notably from such diverse groups as the inmates from the correctional facilities, school tours (over 4,000 students so far), cruise ships parties, visitor conventions and local corporate groups.

We have also welcomed his Excellency the Governor and various Government Ministers who have dropped by for a visit. Our second exhibition, "We Are Sailing", celebrates Bermuda's close relationship with the sea. It will open on the 19th of June, to commemorate our 400 year anniversary. A visit to both these exhibitions helps us all to know who we are. We look forward to welcoming you soon. Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., next to Camden in the Botanical Gardens. Thank you, Mr. Editor

TOM BUTTERFIELD

Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art

Letting Bermuda down

May 12, 2009

Dear Sir,

On Monday, May 11, 2009, while I was walking home in St. George's, I witnessed a most unpleasant treatment of a person. An elderly Bermudian gentleman, dressed very well in his green jacket and tie, was standing in the road. There is a narrow 12-inch sidewalk where he was trying to walk (by Silk Alley), but I know from personal experience that it is impossible to walk on it. Several vehicles, starting with a pedal cyclist and continuing on to a very large white truck, shouted to him to "get out of the road" with the rider of "you old fool" added by one or two as they drove around him.

I started to cross the street to help him as he seemed frightened, but was beaten to it by a visitor, who stepped out, stopped traffic, and saw him across the road safely to the main sidewalk.

I cannot tell you how ashamed I am of my "fellow" Bermudians to treat someone this way, and how embarrassed I am that a visitor had to step in and help him. What must that kind person think of us? I hope he realises we are all not like that. I know we are all rushing around as "time is money", but as the traffic had virtually come to a stop for the gentleman anyway, they could have waited for the 15 seconds it would have taken for him to cross the street, without directing all that rudeness and aggression at him. If their argument is that he wasn't on a crossing, all I can say is that many a time I have been on the crossing by Old Maid's Lane and traffic hasn't stopped. If we want respect from others, we have to show respect to them, and I feel that these people let themselves and Bermuda down.

ST GEORGE'S

Evil and destructive

May 12, 2009

Dear Sir,

Yesterday Mr. Walter Brangman reminded us that there were 22 members who were voted in by the people to serve Bermuda – solve their problems, meet their needs and participate in productive action on our behalf. Why then, he asked do we hear only about the contribution of three or four members as if they were the only ones responsible for what happens? That, I thought, was a good question. It did highlight, for me, the evil and destructiveness of Party Politics and the Westminster System. If every one of the MP's found ways to be constructively active and productive (if the system permitted it!) there would be 22 people at work and not just three of four. That would mean that the enormous difference in pay between backbenchers and Ministers would not be necessary. Not to be in the Cabinet would not then be such a tragedy and make Ministers feel that they had to hold on to their role " come hell or high water".

I do not know when the voting public is going to wake up to the destructive nature of our current political system. Bermuda voted for many more than 22 people. The PLP voted for twenty two and yet from the recent discussion it is as if we voted for only one person. I will not develop that statement. Others have done it. But I grow increasing disgusted with the political system in this country where we can vote for 22 people and eleven or twelve(?) of them get paid so handsomely that it is as if the rest were totally useless – and they behave that way. Politicians believe in Party Politics. It gives them status and privileges and at least a small pay for which many of them feel no responsibility to do anything at all ... We need another "Progressive Group" or "CUAS" or some kind of Committee to get rid of Party Politics, just as we got rid of Government segregation and an elitist form of Franchise because our current form of Government is almost (not quite) as elitist as the former. Those who held the power under a racist Oligarchy did not give up power willingly, neither will the politicians who currently sit in the House, whether they be UBP or PLP.

We must find a way to make all of those for whom we vote equally productive with far less differentiation between the way in which they are paid. Of course those who have done most for us by dismantling Government-sponsored segregation and ensuring that we achieved Universal Franchise were paid nothing and held no special status and received no special privilege. They saw what we needed and led the way and we responded by supporting them (without being asked to sign our names). We did not elect them and yet they met our needs. Today we have elected them. Are they leading us on issues that matter to us so that we are responding in the same way to their leadership? Remember, as Mr. Brangman has pointed out, we elected 22 people. Does the system we have permit all 22 to be equally responsible, productive and equally rewarded?

EVA N. HODGSON

Hamilton Parish

A note of thanks

May 6, 2009

Dear Sir,

I had the privilege of meeting 11 of Bermuda's finest women, who all attended Bermuda's first ever DONA International approved Postpartum Doula training course from May 1 to May 3, 2009.

Some of these women had also attended the first ever Birth Doula training in November 2008. These compassionate, diverse and dedicated women spent three days preparing themselves to care for mothers, babies and families after birth.

They are ready and able to provide education, emotional support, breastfeeding counselling, and practical support to assist these new families as they transition into life with a newborn baby. This-non medical approach is an invaluable service, particularly for families who may have no other support system.

As a trainer, I am always impressed with women who recognise the life changing experience that birth and the early postpartum period is, and wish to assist families at such a time. The women I trained in Bermuda were no exception. A special thanks to Sophia Cannonier for putting this together and for her continued efforts in offering choices to the birthing women of Bermuda.

BETSY K. SCHWARTZ MMHS, PCD (DONA), CTM

Tampa Bay, Florida

Someone always has pay

May 18, 2009

Dear Sir,

Wake up Bermuda and pay attention to the ongoing poor decision making, lack of accountability, incompetence, wasting of millions of taxpayer dollars and the "spin doctor" who always has a twisted tale. Sadly this now appears to be the trademark stamp of the PLP Government. The latest case in point is the BBB (Berkeley Bond Bailout).

From the very beginning we have witnessed a debacle of epic proportions and a litany of deception. It started when the Chief Architect for the Ministry of Works and Engineering, after evaluating the two tender offers, recommended the contract be awarded to a Bermuda company with experience in recent large construction projects in Bermuda. The then-Minister and his Cabinet colleagues then decided to go against this advice and the Berkeley Senior School project was in trouble!

The sad history of the construction of the school is available for all to review but on May 15, when Premier Brown and his colleagues agreed to let Union Asset Holdings off the hook for all of the $6.8 million owed on a bond due and another $700,000 advance, another sad chapter was written.

The only thing I can give the Premier credit for is that it took a large dose of testicular fortitude to stand up next to Brother Chris Furbert and roll out excuses such as comparing this to the Butterfield Bank guarantee ... I thought the bank was on the hook to pay it back?

Or how about the excuse that to continue a legal pursuit of the performance bond could mean a multimillion dollar and multiyear legal challenge ... that never stopped them before as the PLP Government has been taken to court, or taken others to court often and lost most of the time!

I do agree with the excuse that the country is not served by a damaged BIU but the PLP Government and the leadership of the union made the unexplainable and poor decisions that put 4,000 workers and their assets in peril!

The excuse I really like, and I quote, "If you close your eyes and use your imagination this happens in the real world everyday. The people may look different. But in the real world, the business world, this happens everyday ..." (Did the taxpayer pay Glenn Jones to write this one?) Well I have some bad news for Premier Brown and the PLP ... Experience has shown that in the real world someone always has to pay! Sadly, the people of Bermuda, the taxpayer, have to foot the bill on this one. Can anyone tell us just how many millions have been squandered?

SEN. MICHAEL H.

DUNKLEY

Senate Opposition Leader

Follow Obama's example

May 12, 2009

Dear Sir,

There is much to lament about the sorry state of affairs between The Royal Gazette and the Honourable Premier Dr. Ewart Brown, not the least being the damage done to Bermuda's reputation as a sophisticated community. But two aspects of this latest brouhaha bear specific comment.

The first is the reason the Premier has given for curtailing communication with The Royal Gazette. He and other members of his Cabinet have long accused the daily newspaper of deliberately biased coverage. Perhaps Dr. Brown should take a page from President Barack Obama's book. When Mr. Obama was running for office, he established a web site (Fight the Smears at http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/factcheckactioncenter/) which was dedicated to correcting the many inaccuracies and outright lies that were circulating about him. A clear presentation of the facts made it very difficult for the conservative US media and bloggers to continue to accuse Mr. Obama of lying about where he was born, what religion he followed or whether he placed his hand on a Bible to take the Oath of Allegiance. Dr. Brown could do the same thing. Treat The Royal Gazette like any other member of Bermuda's media, identify any resulting alleged lies and bias, post the truth and let the public decide.

Shutting out the media never results in better coverage, no matter who you are. The Premier is media savvy and must know it's well documented that the more transparent the relationship with the media, the greater the likelihood that coverage will be balanced. It might not be exactly what you want, but that's not the media's job. The more difficult it is for reporters to get answers to their questions, and the more defensive the posture of those approached for comment, the greater the chance that coverage will appear to be inaccurate or one-sided (which it is, as only one side of the story is being told).

Consider the result of US President Richard Nixon's treatment of what he believed was an "elite, liberal East Coast press" bent on destroying his presidency. The PBS programme "American Presidents" noted Mr. Nixon's hatred and suspicion of the media. He refused to allow members of his administration to be interviewed by or comment to publications like The New York Times but this didn't prevent the leaks that ultimately led to his downfall:

"Sadly, Nixon's long-standing distrust of the media precipitated criminal behaviour on his part which crippled, then destroyed his administration and his political career. In an effort to stop potentially damaging press leaks and help ensure his re-election, Nixon created a domestic espionage network. Members of this network, working for the Committee to Re-Elect the President (CREEP), were caught in a burglary of Democratic National Committee Headquarters at Washington's Watergate Hotel on June 17, 1972. Fearful that revelation of the scandal would damage his re-election bid, Nixon ordered a cover-up of CREEP's White House connections." The rest, as they say, is history.

I use this example only to demonstrate the irony of Premier Brown adopting the same tactics (of shutting out select members of the media) as Richard Nixon, who must represent the antithesis of the Premier's political beliefs, in an attempt to control how the public perceives his administration. The second point worth commenting on – if you consider journalism a profession worth safeguarding – relates to the ethics of the former journalists who are now employed in the Cabinet Office and the Department of Communications. Having worked as members of the local media, how does this current situation sit with them?

Press Secretary Glenn Jones, an award-winning reporter when he worked at The Royal Gazette, must feel some level of discomfort at having to carry out orders that he knows are ethically questionable. Beverley Morfitt, Magnus Henagulph, Robin Holder and Nea Talbot at the Department of Communication and Information have all worked as reporters – Mr. Henagulph, Mr. Holder and Ms Talbot, like Mr. Jones, at The Royal Gazette. How do they feel about the Premier's cherry-picking media policy? Have they managed to convince themselves that they, as civil servants (with the exception of Mr. Jones), aren't complicit in denying the public the opportunity to make informed judgments about Government's performance?

Perhaps a way to break this impasse would be for some civic-minded individual or company to commission an independent audit of how The Royal Gazette has covered a variety of issues over the past five years. This type of research is a common practice for tracking quality and accuracy of media coverage. An analysis of how leaders of the PLP and the UBP and other related stories have been reported would produce some objective data points that would either show the Premier has a point or that much of the outrage is based on perception and not reality. We have more than enough to grapple with, given the state of the economy, crime and education. One less (unnecessary) battle raging on our tiny shores would be a great relief to us all.

B.D.D.

Devonshire