Fine was too low

October 23, 2010

Dear Sir,

Although I feel seatbelts will be missed occasionally, having an individual only pay $70 for putting young people in jeopardy isn't justice, it's insanity. If something had happened to any of those kids it would have been ugly, don't you think?

INJUSTICED

Devonshire

Breaking news? Hardly

October 22, 2010

Dear Sir,

I commend you on RG's website and especially the "breaking news" segment.

However, I had to raise my eyebrows at today's "breaking news" – "Ground to be broken at Park Hyatt hotel next year".

Really? Breaking news? To be polite, I don't think so.

Perhaps if the Premier's announcement was something like "We aren't sure when, if ever, we will actually see construction of a new hotel in St. George's" - that my friend would be deserving of "Breaking News" (perhaps under the headlng "Premier Finally Comes Clean with the People.")

CYNIC

Paget

Keeping the status quo

October 22, 2010

Dear Sir,

Well, Paula Cox has made it clear that she supports the status quo. She intended to continue to frustrate and antagonise our international business partners and sole benefactors of any value by maintaining term limits. On the other hand, rather than meaningfully tackle the grossly oversized Civil Service by either cutting jobs or reducing their pay as one suggested, she will do nothing but think on it.

Why continue to bite the hand that feeds you and continue to feed the almost 6,000 warm and pampered bodies that consume most of our tax dollars? Votes, pure and simple. The PLP Government has allowed the Civil Service to become so large that it now has enough votes to decide the outcome of any general election. There is now one Civil Servant in every seven voters in Bermuda. Where else in this world does public employment reach these levels of inefficiency? Paula is a team player and that means the PLP comes ahead of Bermuda and Bermudians. Don't expect any meaningful change under her Premiership because her record does not show strength of purpose when and where it really matters.

THIRD WORLD HERE WE COME!

Pembroke

Cox shouldn't be Premier

October 23, 2010

Dear Sir,

The fact that Paula Cox has reaffirmed her view on six-year limits of work permits, as reported in your paper, disqualifies her from any claim to lead Bermuda. This was an angry, short-sighted, xenophobic initiative in the first place.

Moreover, this position from a person that has held the "purse-strings", achieving nothing really but a $1 billion debt. Is this $30,000 per person? As the present Minister, has she been paying attention to the global economy? Has she seen the empty buildings and apartments here?

And, I cannot have heard that she will hold both the Premiership and the Minister of Finance portfolios. This is called 'insanity' in progress!! The fact that David Gibbons did the same in the 1970's was also insane. I do not believe that she should hold either, and I want to go on record as a supporter of Dale Butler, over Terry Lister.

I would support Dale's holding the premiership and the Education Ministry, but only if he brought in a UBP member into his cabinet. I am sure you remember when Bill Clinton put a Republican in his Cabinet in 1992. It is the gesture even that is important. It is not about a party being in "power", but in "responsibility". If a black child suffers without an education, we, the community suffer. We might not be "brothers", but we are neighbours.

Dale should have been Education Minister 17 years ago, and I can give you names in the top echelons of the UBP whom I chased for some years to let him sit in the PLP, but make him the Minister in the UBP Cabinet. What had/has education to do with party politics?

Let's not forget that with this watered-down version of the Westminster system, not only does the Premier choose the Cabinet, but the Cabinet effectively outnumbers the back bench. Isn't it interesting that the UBP, now that they see that they will never again win, are discussing a change?

I am on record with dozens of letters to the editor, decrying this system since the early 1980s. Before that, I did not even register to vote, because it was obviously insane since the introduction of party politics!

For years, I harassed the UBP to recognise the contribution made by our long term residents. They were the third pillar of our economy. It would be certain that they were putting something like $100 million into our economy for decades. They did not necessarily live here all year; had their own health, and retirement, benefits, paid for maids; paid land tax; and licensed their cars, having bought them locally (and did not drive them to clog up our roads for many months in the year).

Many of these exempted company workers are something between a long-term resident, and a work-permitted resident, especially measured by their financial contribution to our economy. This is something that I would assume that Paula Cox knows, but that does not seem to be the case..

One way or the other, this term limit is not only unfair, it is stupid. Is it the "brainchild" of Paula Cox? She has stated firmly that she will not change it, and, with the present economy, and it almost certainly will get worse, I have to ask if she should stay in charge of anything! It should not be up to her to make these decisions, and if she is given the power that a Premier is given, it will be up to her.

Also, did Paula Cox write the piece in your Friday's paper about the examination centre's costs as an answer to the Accountant General's 'concern's, and will she stand behind her comments? If it had been a piece from "Animal Farm', it might be called 'double speak'; if it had been in the 1960's, cynics called this 'Bafflegab', right now I would not even call it clever 'spin'. May I suggest that your readers reread it!!

SANDERS FRITH-BROWN

Warwick

Questions for Ms Cox

October 21, 2010

Dear Sir,

As someone who still has strong ties to Bermuda, though now living overseas, I have taken an active interest in the current fight for Premiership of the country. It does seem as if Paula Cox is the firm favourite, and her publicity machine seems well oiled as it keeps her in the pages of the Gazette on a daily basis - while her two rivals seem to be lagging behind.

I have some questions for Ms Cox:

Why did you not speak up at any time during Dr. Brown's reign against his policies like some of your colleagues did?

Was it because you agreed with everything he did? Or because you were trying to win the premiership by default as "last man standing?"

As a pivotal person in the Brown administration, don't you think you might have saved this island years of hurt if you had spoken out?

As I hear you speak and put forward your platform, am I incorrect in realising that all your promises can be summed up by "It will be business as usual"?

I am sorry, but I have been waiting with bated breath to hear something from you to say that things will be different if you are selected, that things will be better.

Unfortunately, I look from Dr. Brown to you and back again, and can hardly tell the difference.

SADDENED

United Kingdom

Sell residency, end debt

October 22, 2010

Dear Sir,

I thought I'd try some out of the box thinking as a means of getting us out of the very deep financial hole the PLP Government has dug for us. Where can we find $1 billion? We don't make anything of value, we have no resources we can sell and if the PLP continues to make our single industry partners unhappy enough to leave then we will have precious little income. I came up with one solution, although the relatively recent rise in violent crime may make it a harder sell. This is it.

With approval of the UK Government, offer full Bermudian Status with all rights and privileges to 200 pre-approved people for $10 million each. That will raise $2 billion and no doubt bring in lots more money. Every cent to be first used to pay off the national debt with a law passed that no external borrowing will ever again be permitted and the Government of the day must balance its operating books annually. There is no reason, with careful planning, that future major capital projects could not be saved up for before the projects commenced. The Government would see an immediate $28 million annual gain in income in loan repayment savings and each dollar paid in taxes would be valued at a dollar.

What is left over can be left in a safe income generating fund to grow with some used to fund future major capital projects like the hospital, new airport and Causeway, but with a minimum of a half a billion dollar left available for addressing future recessionary needs. Should the PLP Government end its spendthrift ways; with great care, Bermuda need never, ever, be again placed in a financially untenable position.

THINKING US OUT OF THE HOLE

Pembroke

Rise of the black female

October 21, 2010

Dear Sir,

Please allow me the opportunity to express my observations as it relates to the Big Conversation that we have had to listen to or read about over the past three and a half years. It is quite obvious that these forums spent more time in addressing what the white race did or did not do to or for the black race.

My concern is how much time was taken out to discuss the plight of the Black Male leadership in the home as well as in employment. There is definitely a dearth of black male leadership in this country, whether we want to face that reality or not.

I will prove it by the following observation and chronology: if Mrs. Paula Cox is elected next Thursday as the Leader of the Progressive Labour Party, she will be elevated to the Premiership … a black female. Once Stanley Lowe steps down as the Speaker of The House Of Assembly the now Deputy Speaker Dame Jennifer Smith will more than likely ascend to the position as Speaker… a black female. Our Attorney General is a black female, Auditor General a black female, Accountant General, a black female, the two Principals of the only two Public High Schools on the Island, both black females, President of Bermuda College, black female, Head Librarian, black female, Head of Government Human Resource Department, black female, Head of Labour and Training Board, black female, Commissioner of Education, black female, Supreme Court Registrar, black female, Acting Supreme Court Chief Justice, black female, Magistrates' Court Manager, black female, the Presiding Elder of The AME Churches in Bermuda, black female. We are even now witnessing an inundation of black females driving taxis and operating our Public Transportation as bus drivers. More than likely you go for a Job Interview for a Government job you more than likely sit before a panel if not all than most panelist are black females.

At least 95 percent of all single parent homes in Bermuda is being headed up by a black female.

So the question remains, where is the black male leadership, to provide mentoring inspiration and aspiration for the young black males. So here in lies a part of our societal problem with several young black males whether we want to admit it or not. There is a serious indictment on the Black male leadership. If we look to the Mirrors program as so many will suggest, who is the Government Minister over that program, a black female.

If we are going to discuss anything in the next three to four years under the next Premier of our country let's let it be where does the black male fit into this equation?

I close by saying, I am by no stretch of the imagination gender bias, or racially prejudice, but this is a mere reality and the facts speak for it self as it relates to Bermuda of which I am a born Bermudian.

TRUE FACTS

Warwick

Bermuda's real heroes

October 21, 2010

Dear Sir,

Received in the post an invitation to nominate a hero of Bermuda.

I have no intention of sending my nominees in to this Government, but for the record, they are the people who have tried to expose the excesses of the last six or seven years.

They are, in no particular order, Harold Darrell, Larry Burchall, Stuart Hayward, the ladies who sign their names on their correspondence to you in particular Mesdames Flood, Akinstall and Caines.

Of the people in public service certain Police officers who have tried to investigate fraud cases, The previous Auditor General who was arrested for trying to do his job and John Barritt, whose "Hill" series gives some perspective on the shenanigans up there.

I should also mention Ms Battersbee who tried to mobilize the people to oppose the excesses. There are many others and I apologise for not remembering you.

Thanks to a lot of effort by BEST among other things, we did not lose one third of the Botanical Gardens to the Brown Gang but somehow the taxpayers are still going to be in further hock to the tune of $260 million.

I think pressure also limited the damage to the taxpayer of building the Court and Police Station or it would have turned into another Berkeley fiasco. In conclusion, Dr. Brown's departure reminds me of the end of Louis XV's reign (in France) when he said "Apres moi le deluge" ('after me the storm').

Having milked the peasants, seen his courtiers emulating his "style" by building palaces and having a grand old time he realized that the peasants had had enough.

The revolution did not come until Louis XVI had been on the throne for some time, but the horrors of the French Revolution he probably foresaw.

J.WAKEFIELD

Smith's

Promises, promises

October 22, 2010

Dear Sir,

Someone, needs to tell the people who keep going on and on with this belief that, we'll have a decent national stadium because you said this eight years ago and nothing happened, so what makes you sure something will happen now?

SCEPTIC

Devonshire

Who was that guy?

@$:October 20, 2010

Dear Sir,

Two unexpected noises may have disturbed Bermuda's peace this evening around 9 pm; the first was a loud bang occasioned by the Premier's jaw hitting the ground as the realisation struck him that the charade was all over; the other, a grating, wheezy, unpleasant, rasping, hugely-irritating sound, was me laughing myself sick.

@$:Mr. Ernest Els, a golfing celebrity, was commenting on TV to the world on a widely-distributed photograph of himself and Mr. Brian Lara, a cricketing celebrity. He remarked that the obviously posed snapshot involved "some guy" bowling a cricket ball at him. He, a genial man from all appearances, seems to be willing to pose for photographs with almost anyone who wants one, as long as it doesn't interfere with his work, and little cameos such as this are set up frequently for celebrities by publicists and, dare I say it, newspaper photographers, all working to make a quick buck or sell snake-oil of some kind.

Our own dear Premier, a self-described celebrity himself, was that bowler. He is a man recognised for throwing himself in front of any media camera he sees, especially if he can grab another celebrity round the neck and drag him or her into the frame with him. I would therefore be surprised, no shocked, if it were not the Premier's own publicity team which had organised the stellar interplay described above. I personally have never come across a cricket bat or ball on the 16th tee at Port Royal. The story line might be: Els, Lara, Brown – three men of international renown snapped for posterity for the adoring, ever gullible public of Bermuda, that it may forever bask in the reflected glory of the good celebrity doctor, his celebrated fame, and his celebrity best friends.

But obviously Els had no idea who he was. That's awful. No narcissist can cope with such mortification; the fat lady had sung.

Vale, Dr. Brown; sic transit gloria.

NEMESIS

Paget