Emissions questions

November 7, 2010

Dear Sir,

Perhaps soon it will be understood how $15 million was spent on three new emissions testing facilities operated by BECL? And perhaps this understanding will shed light on how such a fantastic sum was spent on rudimentary industrial warehouse buildings that excluded basic but necessary equipment to properly test all emissions from an internal combustion engine?

Specifically, how can those who agreed so much money should be spent on "state of the art" emission testing facilities neglect to require testing protocols to ensure compliance with best practice noise emission standards?

Is anyone able to explain to the taxpayer, who bankrolled these projects, how is it possible to be in a situation where significant increased spending on emission testing facilities has led to an exponential increase in noise emissions generated by motor cycles and, now increasingly, motor cars?

Unofficially, we must be the noisiest Island on the planet.

BDA = dBA

City of Hamilton

Rejuvenating Ocean View

November 5, 2010

Dear Sir,

The recent article by Mr. Ira Philip (Royal Gazette, October 30) clearly articulated the vital role played by Ocean View Golf Club and its founders in their struggle to break through the barriers of racial segregation and establish a golf course where everyone was, and is, welcome.

Ocean View continues to be an excellent and challenging nine-hole public golf course. It's much reduced staff do a first class job under difficult conditions, as so clearly demonstrated following the visit of Hurricane Igor when just four ground staff (down from at least 11) worked tirelessly to clear the fairways and have the course back in shape within a week. Credit must also go to the office staff, also greatly reduced, who double up and still manage to provide friendly and efficient service to locals and visitors.

It is obvious from the comments of its dynamic new president, Quinton Sherlock Jr., that the club is suffering from a reduction in membership, and a lack of overseas visitors due to the decline in tourism, but the new executive is making every effort to rejuvenate its membership.

What is also needed is a drive to rejuvenate the course itself. It is difficult to understand why Ocean View Golf Club was placed under the Ministry of Tourism rather than remaining with the Ministry of Works and Engineering during the term of office of Premier Ewart Brown. This may have been due to Premier Brown's personal interest in pushing for the wonderful improvements made at Port Royal for the Grand Slam, but this appears to have been at the expense of any investment in Ocean View Golf Course.

Ocean View is a living monument to Bermuda's black history and it needs the support and assistance of the new Administration. Premier Paula Cox attended the Memorial Day celebrations at Ocean View last week just before taking office as Premier. I would like to strongly suggest that one of her first actions as our new Premier should be to return responsibility for Ocean View to the Ministry of Works under Minister Derrick Burgess who is acutely aware of the historic importance of the Club.

The annual Governor's Cup between Ocean View and a team selected from all the other clubs on the Island (first introduced by Governor Julian Gascoigne to help break down racial barriers) is held every October. Next year it is due to be played at Ocean View. This historic course cannot be turned into a second Port Royal, but with the active support of Works and Engineering and Government, it could be in first class shape within 12 months – an ideal target date for the next Governor's Cup.

OCEAN VIEW FAN

Smith's

Premier Brown's legacy

November 3, 2010

Dear Sir,

There has been speculation lately about Premier Ewart Brown's legacy for Bermuda. I think what he has left us is very clear.

1. Huge debts while we will struggle to survive.

2. Reinforced racial divisions which did not exist before he became an openly racist leader.

3. An atmosphere of lawlessness fostered by the examples Government, Dr. Brown and his sidekicks set. "If they can do it, we can do it."

4. A Civil Service which is largely not civil and does not want to serve the public.

6. Education in turmoil at a time when we must encourage our young people to succeed by providing the best learning we can.

7. A political atmosphere of "I want what is not mine" and "The people be damned, I'm here for me". That prevents talented and public spirited people from joining politics because they fear the stigma and opens politics up to self-servers.

It will take us a long time to overcome this but we could make a start at a "new start" if we had an outside Royal Commission into the Brown Years and exposed anything found that was wrong and charged anyone involved in wrongdoing. The commission would at the very least clear the air of the present rumours and speculation.

WATCHING

Paget

Glad Cox is leaving ACE

November 3, 2010

Dear Sir,

I am ecstatic at reading the article in today's Royal Gazette; the headlines read "Cox to leave her job at ACE". The newly elected Premier has announced that her new duties would be all-consuming. In my opinion, she has done the right thing. It is impossible to lead the Government of Bermuda effectively and work in a high profile position at a prestigious firm like ACE. This is an action of self-sacrifice because the Honourable Paula Cox will stand to lose personal income that was most likely greater than the salary she will get as our Premier. By this action, she is showing our people that she is willing to serve versus benefiting. I give thanks to Premier Cox for setting this example. It gives me back some hope and trust that I had lost.

CHERYL POOLEY

Devonshire

Who will take Cox's job?

November 8, 2010

Dear Sir,

I read Truthteller's letter to the Editor on October 28 and it resonated with my own experiences as a white Bermudian in the marketplace since returning to the island in the mid-1990s professionally qualified. I have taken my experiences and mentored a number of Bermudians into some excellent opportunities while continuing against my best efforts to remain outside the marketplace.

It was interesting to see the response headed "Too many errors" on November 3 from a Bermudian executive of one of the companies that denied me an opportunity a few years back and more saddening to see another response headed "Not a good impression" on November 8. Neither response offers much hope or direction but focuses on distracting us with a critique of Truthteller's writing ability and not on the substance of Truthteller's and my experiences as Bermudian graduate professionals in the marketplace.

So I thought who is a good example of success in the market place and saw that our Premier Mrs. Cox was resigning from ACE. I wondered who is her Bermudian replacement going to be? Surely she has seen to it that one is in the pipeline. Then I saw the advertisement for an Associate Counsel on November 8 and when I read the requirements, lo and behold, the successful candidate must hold a US law degree and have experience litigating in the US.

If that is the Premier's former job, our esteemed leader did not bring these requirements to the position when she joined ACE! If it's the same job, is this an example of flagrant disregard and disrepect for Bermudian laws? I think that the filling of this position should be monitored especially following on the heels of the Throne Speech's announcements of changes to the Immigration Act and the new Premier's promises of "looking after all".

So if the Premier is going to walk the talk surely it started with the position she is leaving! There are a number of qualified Bermudian lawyers who surely have been considered by Mrs. Cox to follow in her footsteps or does ACE succeed in closing the shop to Bermudians again?

Given that MPs Mrs. Cox, Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Minors are all survivors of the Bermuda marketplace and all well know the difference between being a Bermudian in the marketplace and a political player in the marketplace, I am hopeful that they will mindfully navigate this space vigilantly to see all Bermudians are the beneficiaries of the immigration protections in place.

Of note in the Business Section I see an expatriate who arrived on the island the same year as I came home who is now the chief executive officer of Assured Guaranty Ltd. I wonder what made him so special and I also wonder how many Bermudians have been mentored and trained by him into these types of opportunities in the last 16 years. Last time I checked, not many.

Let's focus on the issues of access to the market and training for "All Bermudians" and not just their writing abilities which are easily addressed and should not be the barrier!

TRUTH TELLER FAN

Warwick

Like Dame's appointment

November 3, 2010

Dear Sir,

Premier Cox's new appointments:

Her appointment of Dame Jennifer to Education is brilliant. There is no one else who has spent more time on education than she has both in opposition and in power. She is also tough enough to take on the troublesome people in the ministry, the union which seems to protect unqualified teachers, and members of the public all of whom think themselves experts in education. Making LaVerne Furbert a Senator is a grave mistake. She has alienated scores of people by her approach and her outspoken support of her mentor Dr. Brown. However, Mr. Editor, it gives you the opportunity to cut off her letters by telling her that she now has her own public forum in the Senate.

COMMENTATOR

Devonshire

Mail out census forms?

November 8, 2010

Dear Sir,

The US Census Department, like Bermuda, is in the midst of conducting their 2010 census. Their method is to mail out to every household in America a 10 question form that is to be returned in an enclosed self addressed and stamped envelope. Astonishingly, they are reporting a 74 percent return rate (i.e., three quarters of what they mailed out have been filled in and returned). In several American cities and towns with comparable population to Bermuda, their return rates are in the mid -80-percentile. Can anyone explain to me why we are paying census takers $28 per household, plus $3 per house "travel" expenses, and we are ready to quit at 50 percent? The mind boggles!

RFK

Smith's