Yesterday's news

February 16, 2010

Dear Sir,

This is in response to "MP Asks: 'What Garbage is This?'" which was featured in your February 16th edition of The Royal Gazette. I recently ate one of Dale's, stale fishcakes and the only thing that alleviated my stomach ache was one of Brown & Company's "Brown-Noser" Novelty gum. Where have you been? The product has been on the shelf for more than a year!

Really Dale? Were you really offended? It's a piece of gum! I am sure you have used a few choice words in your lifetime. I have just purchased 50 packs of these gums – I dare you to come stop me from making these purchases. Also, Dale, word-to-the wise, don't bite the hands that feed you: Isn't Brown & Co. one of the largest carrier of your books? If I were them I'd pull all of your books off the shelves! And tell you to chew on that! Kudos to The Royal Gazette for featuring your asinine (no pun intended) story on the front page of their publication – you looked like a fool and what a joke!

IRRITATED

Southampton

No sense of humour

February 17, 2010

Dear Sir,

Do we live in the 21st Century or not? I was shocked and amazed to read the front page article in today's edition about Dale Butler's overly sensitive response to humorous chewing gum. Since when is it reasonable, instead of embarrassing, to have a tantrum about a person's (or vendor's) rights. The taking of offence is something that is rapidly getting out of control in our society. But this chewing gum issue is really taking it too far.

Why should Mr. Butler even have the gall, the gumption, the audacity to request that a store stop selling a product – a popular product – simply because he finds it offensive! So what? There are many things that I find offensive as well; but I don't go around asking people to stop doing things they are perfectly free to do! It might be prudent for Brown and Company to move the products from the eye-level of children, but I certainly don't believe that they should be forced to do anything.

I'm just confused about whether or not we live in a modern, progressive, tolerant, Western culture or if we are stuck in an outdated, close-minded, ancient civilisation. There is a phenomenon known as The Slippery Slope. Once you start down a path of limiting certain civil liberties, you might find it hard to know when and where to stop. I've been in Brown and Company and purchased some of their "retro" products, including the candy. I find the items to be entertaining, hilarious little conversation starters. Some people need to lighten up and find something better to do. I say to Brown and Company: Don't bend! Keep selling!

JOKER

Sandys

Balloons are dangerous

February 13, 2010

Dear Sir,

February 14! Another celebration of St. Valentine's Day. I notice in several stores that there are the usual romantic items on show: cards, flowers, chocolates ... and ... helium-filled balloons! If these balloons are given to an adult sweetheart, let us hope that any responsible adult will make sure that it is disposed of safely, i.e. punctured and put in the trash. Even trashing these modern balloons is not a good idea as they last a very long time in the garbage landfill. Probably many of these silvery balloons end up in the hands of children who love them because they float up in the air as if by magic. It doesn't take much to admit that the children often let go of them by accident. This usually precipitates tears and a new balloon!

Wait a minute! Hmm ... the balloons are filled with helium. In a matter of minutes, it is over the ocean and eventually falls into the sea. Turtles mistake a deflated balloon for a jelly fish and gobble it up. This often leads to a long and agonising death ... and, what for? Bermuda spends a lot of time and money in encouraging the propagation of turtles and this effort is lost to callous use and disposal of plastics, particularly white carry bags and balloons. I think the use of helium should be banned. I mean its use for the inflation of party balloons and the like. This would not be welcomed by novelty shops selling party stuff. However, I think it would be admired by other countries.

It would take a Government with a strong conscience and respect of the environment. After all, Bermuda does not have majestic mountains, waterfalls, or magnificent parks. What we do have is small by comparison to other countries so we must protect our natural environment to the best of our ability. We have the ocean all around us. We are obligated – and privileged – to protect the creatures in it. At this time, our love and attention is drawn to that wonderful epic "We are the World", and the words: "Oh there's a choice we're making, We're saving our own lives. It's true, we'll make a better day, Just you and me."

Yes, "Saving our own Lives!"

UN-COMMON SENSE

St. George's

'I, too, shall pass'

February 14, 2010

Dear Sir,

I often think of Bermuda from here in Mother Britain (the umbilical cord to which the Premier of Bermuda is committed to snipping), in this tiny enclave of the Jews Bay diaspora I call my home. One of the things I think about most regularly is how the people of Bermuda have come to be "led" (has ever a word been so inappropriate?) by a man and his government, who have done so microscopically little to enhance or improve the social welfare, safety, educational standards and environmental resources common to all the people of Bermuda. Most recently I've been thinking about the crime wave of 2009/10, and that it was the people of Bermuda – not the Premier, not his government – who first stood up and spoke with one voice that they would reclaim their community, in the name of peaceful coexistence for the benefit of themselves and future generations.

And I realised this: that Bermudians would take care of themselves, by their communal action to preserve and protect their community, because they understood that their Premier was (and is) more interested "in pursuit of his own personal celebrity and to fund initiatives that, to date, have been of questionable benefit to the taxpayer like "tourism" trips to China/India, festivals that seem to have a primary purpose of providing the Premier with photo opportunities with celebrities, his flashy BMW 7 Series, non-starting resort projects (Club Med/Park Hyatt, Ritz Carlton, Southlands) and, of course, sneaking the Uighurs into Bermuda and getting them jobs during a time when many Bermudians are out of work", as a recent Devonshire correspondent in these pages wrote.

The writer added: "A reasonable person would ask, 'How does he get away with this?'" That being, indeed, a very reasonable, and probably widely asked question, my first response is that he "gets away with it" because he can; he is the democratically elected "leader" of a parliamentary democracy, according to the will of the majority of the electorate. But also – let's not beat about the oleander bush on this – because he is dedicated primarily (some might say wholly, but, it being Valentine's Day, let's be a bit generous here) to his own self-importance; because, finally, he is not now, never has been and never will be a leader of the whole, integrated and diverse community of Bermuda but rather a political animal whose instincts are to wield power, in the name of himself, his party and their supporters, and their respective ambitions, but certainly not for the selfless benefit and welfare of the community at large.

With a Premier of such solipsistic nature, and with the next election not likely to be held before 2012, it is left to the people of Bermuda to come together as a proactive community, to speak as a single voice, to act as a unified force, to stand up for themselves to make sure they get the Bermuda they want, to override, in effect, the indifference of the Premier (and his government) to their communal welfare, in the certain knowledge that, in his own (slightly modified) words, "I, too, shall pass". A fitting epithet for the legacy of an increasingly irrelevant panjandrum Premier.

GWELLY UP COUNTRY

London, UK

Stop the tourism spin

February 15, 2010

Dear Sir,

Finally a confession from our Tourism Ministry ... "Business/Friends/Visitors" account for 40 percent of air arrivals".

Isn't this what a lot of us were saying repeatedly, but "they" didn't listen? I think it was about two years ago the tourism statistics reported by the Department of Tourism led us to believe we were on a roll and the numbers proved it – so "they" said (regrettably they made a mistake). Of course, many of us didn't believe what we read, and after several months came the electrifying announcement that "all arrivals" would go into the same pot regardless if they were business people or just friends – after all they are visitors too. And so those "inflated numbers" were pumped up to let "us – the people" know that all is well! In reality, the money spent in wrong places promoting the island, proved to be absolutely disastrous.

Can you imagine 40 percent would have come anyhow? They weren't attracted because they saw a big promotion with the Red Sox in Boston, or some extraordinary "Feel the Love" promotion or a multi million marketing scheme put together by Global Hue – they came to see friends or to do business.

Now we are hearing from sources on the Island that a serious question must be asked about local business: Where are the restaurateurs, where are the country's retailers, where are the small hoteliers, where are the entrepreneurs who have worked so hard to find their place in the Bermuda economy? These groups should not be waiting for order to be returned to a once thriving and prosperous island! Our economy will only resurface "when voices rise". With so much to lose by showing total disinterest (at least publicly), these good folk really must consider if they have enough courage to do what is right for Bermuda!

The revelation of these appalling statistics causes us to wonder what sort of reaction we would be getting from the Bermuda Industrial Union if the United Bermuda Party was in power today. We can imagine those headlines accusing the administration of ineptitude. Their present stance is roll over and play dead, instead of expressing concern for the workers on the Island. Pathetic! Incidentally we have yet to read a compassionate statement from the Bermuda Hotel Association regarding industry layoffs and unemployment in hotels. We all know about spin control to emphasise or exaggerate the positive aspect of things that are not real, but the spin goes on.

TOPPY AND SAUNDRA COWEN

Southampton

Economic solutions

February 16, 2010

Dear Sir,

Lately I have read with some disquiet such articles as: "NEW YORK (Reuters) – Marriott International Inc., posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit but said it would be difficult to predict the pace of recovery for the hotel industry, which has been hurt by tepid business travel.

Business travel is an important step to recovery for Marriott, which relies heavily on Corporate demand to help set room rates. Although business travel has improved in recent months, it still remains below levels of 2008 and earlier."

"How the US is creating long term stress

Award winning author and economist Eamonn Fingleton discusses how the consumer goods and capital goods that are flooding the economy will impact the future, this will also affect Bermuda.

Breaking News: Bermuda Tourism still suffering from impact of global recession.

Visitor arrivals fall by more than a quarter. Second quarter air arrivals worst for 29 years.

Also Tourism woes as air visitors spend less and hotel earnings drop by $69 million.

People across the globe are just not spending as much, and of course the global economy is still a grave concern. We will continue to face challenges, no matter what is said by whomever, we will have to ride this out, until the US, and other parts of the world improve.

US Economic Forecast: What you need to know in 2010

Lack of US consumer spending causes global worries.

Perhaps Bermuda Heads of Government could hold an international conference to exchange information on how Islands/Countries adjust to address the social impact of this crisis. On a more systematic level, this conference could also discuss opportunities of the crisis to make social and economic development and growth, surely there would be a wealth of information and some great ideas.

This conference can be a special seminar on "The Environments of the Poor"; such a conference will provide insights on how two phenomena – the financial crisis and climate change – are affecting the less fortunate and those already vulnerable to poverty. Links between the two will be explored and insights on interventions that could benefit the less fortunate, both in short term (e.g., to withstand economic crises), and long-term (e.g., to strengthen climate adaptation), could be discussed. This event could come up with key policy recommendations for government action.

Expected Outputs:

Such a conference could build on crosscutting and Bermuda papers related to:

? Labour market and value chain job relations

? Social protection

? Poverty impact

? Migration and remittances

? Impact of rescue packages on social budgets and fiscal space for more inclusive social policy

? Impact on development and governance relations through decentralisation

? Impact on citizen's health and education

? Global recession and climate change impact on the environment of the elderly

? Poverty Statistics and Millennium Development Goals Monitoring

Money Market says the stock market soared over 60 percent from its March 2009 lows. But the US economy has been hampered by rising unemployment and tight credit markets.

What will 2010 bring? "Heads of Government and all those that hold an exaggerated opinion and think they have the answers, pull together former investment bankers, International financiers and veteran financial Journalists to brainstorm, then we will see what the economy has in store for 2010. Therefore, we will see exactly how to grow our wealth in the year ahead". Remembering two heads are better than one; do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." – Martin Luther King, Jr.

G.L. DUNBAR-SIMMONS

City of Hamilton

Chalk and cheese

February 16, 2010

Dear Sir,

I am frustrated. Seriously what is wrong with people here? My first issue was with a letter to the Editor of this paper attacking Kim Swan and especially Gina Spence-Farmer. All I have to say to Ms Furbert's letter is that I would rather have a parliamentarian that had difficulty getting a GED than one who has a Ph.d but uses his intelligence to deceive, manipulate and abuse the people of Bermuda. Yes, I am talking about the Premier.

You want to make the comparison of the Premier's secretary and the Opposition Leader's secretary of chalk to cheese, well here's a better one, how about you compare former leaders to Ewart and you'll have democracy to dictatorship. Never have I seen such an abuse of power. And I encourage all the "Brownshirts" or better yet, "Brown-nosers" as I call them backing Ewart to wake up and smell the roses and see he doesn't care about you or this Island. He cares for himself. Bermuda is broke because of it.

My second issue is with the obscene chewing gum Dale Butler brought to the House. I understand his standpoint that it should NOT be in eye view of children, but really, put it on a higher shelf and let's bring more pressing matters to the House. Let's address gun crime and the disgusting state of financial affairs we find ourselves in thanks to this government's mismanagement. I would think after bringing in more than 100 consultants in two years the government might have found someone with fiscal common sense to hire to show them you don't spend more money when you're already broke. But I guess that's another "chalk to cheese" type of analogy, huh?

ROBERT DAVIES

Devonshire

Visitor's View

Slip sliding away

February 22, 2010

Dear Sir,

Declining tourism figures mean $200 million in lost revenue – Michael Dunkley"

Wake up Bermuda! No more Island Charm with Steel Pan music. Not much in the way of big time entertainment (other than drinking in a local disco) ... no shows, no international entertainment at the large hotels.

No casinos. Gangs growing by the day ... murder in the streets. You are the closest resort to mainland USA and you're letting your business slip right through your fingers! Sad, very sad.

CHARLIE SLATTERY

Dracut, Massachusetts