Comparing water costs

September 16, 2008

Dear Sir,

Having spent seven wonderful years in Bermuda and now residing in Perth, Australia I recently drew up a comparison of water consumption costs. Given that we are so reliant on that limited resource called water in Bermuda, I find myself in the same situation here in Perth. We have here, the Southern Hemisphere's largest desalination plant, with a second about to be commissioned to cope with the increasing population and infrastructure demands.

My three-month water bill was $30 for 50,000 litres or approximately 11,000 UK gallons/13,000 US gallons.

I do not recall what I was getting in Bermuda, US or UK gallons but the equivalent cost in Bermuda was $600-680 for the same amount and that was with discount from my fantastic water truck man, David in St. George's.

Just something to think about!

CRAIG STARK

Perth, West Australia

Thanks for the help

September 15, 2008

Dear Sir,

On Tuesday afternoon, September 9 around 3.40 I tripped and fell on the sidewalk outside of Boyles on Queen Street. I would like to thank the lady who helped my husband get me up on my feet again and also the other people who also stopped and offered water and Band-Aids. I would also like to thank the lady at the ferry dock who offered tissues. I am very stiff, bruised and grazed but OK. Thank you all so much.

SHEILA S.

Somerset

Casinos for visitors

September 17, 2008

Dear Sir,

I want to thank E. Raben for expressing support for "legalising it". I believe that we can use Casino's to better our Island's entertainment. I am tired of hearing how dull our Island is for our visitors. I hear it time and time again as they search our town for activities. That said, I want to clarify my stance on gambling in Bermuda. I believe that casinos are a key piece of any island's entertainment mix. I don't believe our Government should be involved in the operation of the casino venues, but I do believe it should assist in preventing locals from partaking.

I do not believe we, as locals or expats, should be gambling in our home country. If you are a resident or guest worker of this Island then this is your home. Gambling is a vice, and we as Bermudians certainly have our vices. Alcoholism is rampant on our island, as we witness by entering any of our bars on any given day ending in "y". My desire to see casinos in our hotels is strictly to see our tourism product reinvented. I don't want to see my fellow Bermudians losing their pay cheques, life savings or family fortunes in a casino. Sometimes we have to ask our Government to protect us from ourselves.

I want to enjoy the benefits casinos offer, but through a trickle down effect: increased business, better government programmes, better nightlife and hotel entertainment, etc. We don't need to throw our hard earned money down on the tables hoping for a run of luck. Remember, eventually the house always wins.

Thank you again Mr. Editor for enduring what seems to have become my weekly rant.

BEEZ EVANS

St. George's

Fathers' rights

With the recent hype regarding the recent killing, also, the drive-by shooting, we all should be concerned as to where Bermuda is heading, in relation to our youths.

ChildWatch has been calling for Shared Parenting legislature for years, which will allow both parents to be involved with their children equally. Both parents will formulate a parenting plan customised to their family's needs. This will insure the children that they are loved and cared for by their Mother and Father.

Australia, Italy, Denmark and a number of states in the United States of America have implemented the Shared Parenting model. In fact the Australian Government stated that they will be spending $400 million towards this scheme, in 2006. They introduced 65 Family Centres to resolve family issues, both parents to customise a parenting plan to suit their family's needs, instead of a Court Judge dictating to them. Further, they will have help lines and some free counseling.

On August 12, New Zealand's independent newspaper, "Scoop", states that "The United Future New Zealand Party" is pushing to reform the family Law, in a three-prong approach following family breakdown. The plan is to keep both parents involved on a daily basis in their children's lives after a breakdown. Mrs. Judy Turner spokesperson for United Future Party states that they will amend the "Care of Children's Act", to legislate a bill for Shared Parenting. Currently, the system is extremely unsatisfactory. DNA testing will be implemented to ascertain the biological father. Further, it will review the child support system and make it fairer and more flexible to coincide with shared parenting.

Minister of Revenue Peter Dunne has ordered a review of the child support scheme, to reassess the formula to ensure that it is flexible enough to reflect the complexities of raising children when parents are separated and both parents contribute to the care of their children.

In addition, Mrs. Turner claims that the "Family Court in New Zealand, is failing thousands of families, and the effects of fatherlessness is a major indicator of crime and anti-social behaviour". According to Massey University economist Stuart Birks, found that children of fatherless homes are:-

• 5 times more likely to commit suicide.

l 32 times more likely to run away.

• 20 times more likely to have behavioural disorder.

• 14 times more likely to commit rape.

• 9 times more likely to drop out of high school.

• 10 times more likely to abuse chemical substances.

l 9 times more likely to end up in a state-operated institution.

• 20 times more likely to end up in prison.

She concludes by stating that "The Family Law Reform is long overdue and the effects of the current system cannot be underestimated and has extensive consequences".

In addition, Canada is calling for a Private Bill for changes to Canada's Divorce Act. Sociology professor Edward Kruk, Canada's foremost expert on custody from the University of British Columbia, released to the Canadian National Post August 27, 2008.

These are some excerpts from professor Kruk, he says "The removal of one parent from the life of the child is widespread, and calls the Family Court system "a national shame".

And this issue not only affects fathers because there are increasing number of mothers who are losing their children, and children who are losing their mothers. This is a form of child abuse to have a fit loving parent forcefully removed by a court in the absence of any child protection concerns or issues.

Numerous studies show that Equal parenting is best for children and is desired by the children themselves. Growing up fatherless can result in a host of problems including depression, teen pregnancy, delinquency, bullying, drug abuse and suicide.

Professor Kruk also says, non-custodial fathers are "a very at-risk group" with homicides and suicides.

Canadians support equal parenting 80 percent, according to a SES research survey done in 2007. Yet, Canada has one of the highest removal rates in the world.

According to the Fathers 4 Justice of Canada Organisation's coordinator: "The divorce industry is booming in many western countries including Canada, where a contested divorce costs an average of $25,000." This is why, says Kruk, "there is a very strong vested interest in maintaining the status quo on the part of the legal professionals."

Sadly, these other statistics are very disturbing and are of great concern and should be. We at ChildWatch have been speaking about these very similar statistics from professionals from all around the world. I know that I have been speaking about these issues for almost eighteen years.

The following statistics and references below are provided by other professionals:

Children from fatherless homes account for:

• 63% of youth suicides

l 70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes

l 71% of pregnant teenagers

l 71% of all high school dropouts

l 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centres

l 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger

l 85% of all children that exhibit behavioural disorders

l 85% of all youths sitting in prisons

l 90% of all homeless and runaway children

You might think a "loving mother" would want to protect her child and keep him or her from becoming one of the above statistics, but in most cases that assumption is wrong.

Fatherless homes are exposing children to the above risks:

l Angry mothers sabotage a father's efforts to visit their children

l Few children are satisfied with the amount of contact with their fathers

l The mother was the greatest obstacle to having more frequent contact with the children

• 37.9% of fathers have no access/visitation rights

• 40% of mothers reported that they had interfered with the non-custodial father's visitation on at least one occasion, to punish the ex-spouse.

• 50% of mothers "see no value in the father's continued contact with his children...."

• 70% of fathers felt that they had too little time with their children

• 77% of non-custodial fathers are NOT able to "visit" their children, as ordered by the court, as a result of visitation interference by the mother.

l 89% of mothers don't value their husband's input when it comes to handling problems with their kids

• Non-compliance with court ordered visitation is 300% more common than non-compliance with court ordered child support and impacts the children of divorce even more.

The removal of one parent from his or her children, to become a visitor, of forty-eight days per calendar year, or possible none at all, has many affects, as we all can see. Further, with much talk on making parents responsible for their children's action and penalising those parents is very unfair. How can a parent that was removed by this same system, be haulled into court and possibly pay fines or be imprisoned for children they did not have any input or influence on throughout their lives.

Consequently, these issues have fallen on deaf ears and there is some denial that these problems co-exist in our community from fatherless homes. Yet, society keeps looking for a band-aid approach to solve these simple problems. By keeping the fathers involved with their children and not just requiring them to make a paycheque or be a continual gravy train for the legal system. Hence, this will move toward solving many of our problems with the youth.

EDWARD TAVARES

ChildWatch

Co-Founder

Childwatch.bermuda@yahoo.com">Childwatch.bermuda@yahoo.com