Add issues to polls

April 29, 2010

Dear Sir,

Why can we not have a Survey, not on the popularity of potential leaders, but on the issues, particularly the issue of social justice, to which they plan to give priority? For me it would be the economic disparity because it is so disastrous to our social fabric.

EVA N. HODGSON

Hamilton Parish

Editor's note: The Royal Gazette does poll the public on what issues are of most concern to them. In the most recent survey, crime was far and away the bigest issue, followed by the economy and education in that order.

Fundamental difference

April 30, 2010

Dear Sir,

Here is the difference between the BIU and an insurance company.

The BIU accepted $700,000 for a performance bond on the Berkeley project. When a claim came due, the BIU refused to pay it.

Insurance companies do pay claims. That is why they have to charge a realistic premium. When the claims go up, the insurance companies have to increase their premiums.

Perhaps Chris Furbert would like to take that $700,000 and distribute it to his members to help pay their health insurance increases this year.

PAUL VINEY

St. David's

Selective in his rants

April 29, 2010

Dear Sir,

I had to have a little chuckle to myself about Mr. Chris Furbert's rant at local insurers for raising their premiums as of May 1. He was so incensed by these companies lack of compassion towards the working man during these tough times that he and his organisation, the BIU, organised an emergency meeting at the Heritage Worship Center for BIU members to rail against the invited insurance chiefs. What brought out my chuckle was his quote within the April 29, 2010 story stating that this annual increase by the insurance companies, "was an unfair burden for employers to bear."

I laughed simply because of the PLP/BIU's (they are inseparable) constant claims that any Government action which is protested is due simply and cynically to inherent biases contained within individuals that are automatically predisposed to be "haters" towards this infallible administration. These claims are based on their own actions (as demonstrated in the following paragraphs) and thus feel that any protest/criticism by any other institution/individual must be carried out in the same manner in which they conduct themselves.

I therefore ask Mr. Furbert where was his outrage when Minister Cox and the current PLP administration announced tax hikes across the board as Bermuda and her people become more and more engulfed everyday by the deepening recession? Why did he or the BIU deem it not to be necessary to hold an emergency meeting to rant against the payroll tax increases, vehicle licensing increase and the other slew of tax hikes instituted by the current PLP administration which affect all of Bermuda taxpayers and families? Doesn't Mr. Furbert know that these hikes place additional financial burdens on both employers and employees and will inevitably reduce the amount of disposable income generated by families and therefore decreases the standard of living across the board by decreasing the ability to afford the basic necessities of life? Or is he misleading his members into believing that the private sector is solely to blame? Don't Mr. Furbert and the BIU realise that these hikes increase the cost of doing business in Bermuda even further and that as a result these additional expenses will be passed onto the consumer through increasing prices of both necessary and material goods/products/services? Where was the outrage from the BIU then? I can guarantee you that if a UBP administration raised taxes during a recession the old metaphors of racism and not caring about the working man would be readily spewed on any media median or forum without the slightest hesitation. So why isn't the BIU sticking up for their members against this Government for placing additional financial burdens on the working man and woman? Why, Chris, why? There was and will be none from this organisation as they are essentially toothless after their "bail out".

I just finished reading the most recent Worker's Voice (highly recommended for anyone who doesn't like whites or anything opposed to the PLP by the way) where he accused Bob Richards of misleading the country regarding his critique of the PLP's handling (or mishandling) of the Bermuda economy and concluded by stating that the current PLP administration was doing an "outstanding job" in this area. Well if you consider a Government increasing the national debt by over $400 million in less than four years and resorting to tax hikes in the middle of a recession (i.e. forcing the people to pay for their "mistakes") as a result of this unchecked spending, as being a government who is performing in an outstanding manner, then I nominate the current PLP administration as Government of the World, no screw that, the Universe!

The funny side of all this is that along with the increasing cost of health care and an ageing population is that the aforementioned Government tax increases also contributed to the necessary increase of the Island's healthcare premiums which Mr. Furbert claims to be an attack and burden of the working man/woman population of this Island. So Mr. Furbert why are you being selective in your rants (just as your beloved party claims all opposition to be) concerning this subject when the actual root cause of these mandated increases falls squarely on the feet of the Party which you claim is to be operating in an "outstanding" manner?

JUSTIN SMITH

Hamilton Parish

Gaming not wanted here

May 1, 2010

Dear Sir,

The "top hotelier" Mr. Norman Mastilir, director of Bermuda's Fairmont hotels, says that Bermuda needs gambling for the hotel industry to survive (Royal Gazette, April 30, 'Hotels Are Losing Millions of Dollars'). It will, apparently, "not survive" otherwise. Mr. Mastilir apparently "pointed to statistics" that showed gaming could attract "up to 100,000 more visitors per year and boost hotel occupancy from the 52 percent of last year (2009) to the high 70s." What statistics, exactly, would those be? From a survey? From the experience of other tourist destinations? What is the source of this statistical "evidence"? I would be very interested to know.

By contrast, a recent letter writer from St. David's ('Put the Bermuda in Tourism', April 29) was, in my opinion, absolutely right on the mark – "Pinhead it!", as Capt. Geary Pitcher might have said – with his observations that the introduction of gambling in Bermuda would just make Bermuda like any other tourist destination, and that we had to "Revive Bermuda" and everything unique about Bermuda to attract visitors. As he wrote, "People want to come here for the difference yet we only offer the same." I couldn't agree with him more. If every other country in the world had gambling, I would suggest that that alone should be a dominant argument for Bermuda not to introduce gambling – to preserve it as a unique tourist destination that had something no other country had: an absence of gambling.

And consider this: that when something goes wrong because of gambling, for whatever reason, as it surely will at some point because nothing is perfect, what then of Bermuda's reputation as a tourist destination? Consider how difficult it would be to resurrect Bermuda's tourism when (as we say here) it all goes pear-shaped as a direct result of a misadventure chargeable to a single phenomenon such as gambling. The value of a reputation, like a currency, is highly susceptible to change; it can go down as well as up, and is very resistant to constancy. It's one thing to consider something (such as gambling) for what might appear to be the benefits of it. Only a fool, however, would disregard the risks of its potential downside.

I've said it before and I say it again: Bermuda does not need (and I use that word "need" deliberately, in contrast with "want") gaming to keep its hotel industry alive. It needs, as your St David's letter writer has said, to "breathe life into our Island…to make it more attractive to locals first, because visitors want to come to experience local life and not that which they can get down the road." Tourism in Bermuda needs imaginative people to recreate an industry based on Bermuda's natural and unique resources, including its people. The blinkered vision of "top hoteliers" who only seem to think within the box of their narrow and rather conventional perspective is short-sighted, unimaginative, one-sided and frankly just plain pedestrian.

For many, many years Bermuda had a vibrant and dynamic tourism industry without gambling. It isn't necessary or even desirable now to resuscitate and reinvent Bermuda tourism by breathing the oxygen of gambling into it. What it needs is to be reinvigorated by breathing more of the uniqueness of Bermuda itself into it, to make it a "Made in Bermuda" product that everyone in Bermuda can take pride both in contributing to and benefiting from.

GRAHAM FAIELLA

London, UK

Abundance of TLC

April 29, 2010

Dear Sir,

On April 28, 2010 we had to conduct a service at the Sylvia Richardson Care Facility.

Now, my first and lasting impression was how well the grounds and gardens were so well manicured and free of any loose debris such as paper, cigarettes buds and so on.

We soon entered the main lobby only to be greeted with a warm Bermuda smile, this was followed up with a hardy welcome from the receptionist. After all the formalities we then went along with our business. It wasn't long after that we noticed how sanitised the facility is, how friendly and professional the staff members are, we also observed an abundance of TLC everywhere.

The only flaw that we saw was that the picture of our Premier Dr. Brown and Health Minister Mr. Roban was hanging on the wall with a slight tilt (smile). We say keep up with your high standard of quality care and good work.

Sylvia Richardson would be so very proud of each and everyone of you.

WILLIE

Warwick

P.s. Ray Charles keep on smiling man. We love you.

Doors of opportunity

This was sent to Premier Dr. Ewart Brown and copied to The Royal Gazette

April 30, 2010

Dear Sir,

There have been (many) occasions that I have found myself being "critical of the choices made by my Government". But on this topic of "gambling", I support damn near everything you've written in that article I read in today's issue of the Bermuda Sun and wish to let you know that I also agree with gambling being an attribute/amenity (like the swimming pools or bars). They are not something everyone will be compelled to use or partake.

So, without further ado, may I commend you on, (once again) opening the doors of opportunity to the people of our Island home that their horizons may be broaden and opportunities be offered.

Cordially I remain:

RAYMOND RAY

St. George's