PATI concerns

This was sent to Government and copied to The Royal Gazette.

November 30, 2009

Dear Sir,

I am a very concerned taxpayer who would like to know where my money has been spent, just as would every other taxpayer in Bermuda.

We, the people, are the Government's employers, and I feel it is imperative the PATI legislation is retroactive! If there is nothing to hide with the millions spent on various projects around the Island, well over budget, and not sent out to tender, then so be it! We would all be very happy to know that nothing is amiss, and our money has been spent wisely.

Furthermore, the Premier should not have the power to exclude any public authority from freedom of information without the approval of MPs. This makes a mockery of FOI entirely! We might just as well not have it at all! Millions of people in democracies around the world enjoy the right to access information held by any publicly funded body. So should Bermudians!

PEGGY COUPER

Pembroke

No spending oversight

December 1, 2009

Dear Sir,

So Government finally admits what many of us suspected a $100 million shortfall after underestimating how much it would spend and overestimating how much it would take from the taxpayer.

Shame on the Finance Minister for allowing the free-wheeling, free-spending Premier to plunge this island into this kind of debt.

Miss Cox, where was the oversight from your Ministry?

Most of the overspending seems to be on frivolous self-serving projects for the Premier like Music Festivals and Golf Tournaments, which did not attract enough tourists to fill a couple of jumbo jets.

And where was the oversight from the House Parliamentary Committee, led by the Shadow Finance Minister, on all this spending? Has Bob Richards disappeared off the radar screen?

All right thinking taxpayers should be howling for the Auditor General to launch a full investigation.

Paula, a lot of us had high hopes for you being a force for moderation.

We hope you won't be just another lackey.

CL

Warwick

Teenager showed he cared

December 1, 2009

Dear Sir,

On November 30, I read with keen interest your front page article entitled Royal Gazette Launches Charity Campaign and it pricked my memory to write to you.

On November 26, obviously prior to the article, I was returning home from a Thanksgiving dinner with my family when I found myself far from home with a problem. Having just recovered from a serious car accident and having experienced extensive car repairs, I was faced with yet another dilemma. My car rolled off Harrington Hundreds and at the foot of the hill, I decided to stop the car to attend to the noise coming from the rear. I had contracted a puncture. Within seconds of stopping the car, an angel appeared. Nineteen-year-old Andre Smith, son of Kovan Smith and stepson to Sandra Butterfield Smith, came to the rescue.

What struck me was the cordial presence of this teenager. He immediately stopped to offer assistance and then invited me to accompany him to his home which happened to be just a minute away. He then offered to shelter me from the damp air, was concerned that I was standing too close to passing traffic, told me that he worked for Rayclan and that he was very familiar with the task ahead. I then knew I was in capable hands. He efficiently went about replacing the tyre, had all of the necessary equipment to do so, and then shared with me that he attended Church of Christ. In short, I was supremely impressed with the gentility and supreme efficiency of this young man. As we talked I realised that I not only knew both his parents, but I had attended elementary school with them. Andre invited me to go upstairs to see his parent after he repaired the puncture. Given the lateness of the hour, I obliged, but only briefly.

Mr. Editor, I write this letter to you because this act of kindness by a teenager was genuine and prompted by a pure, caring spirit. Further, it happened before the launch of your campaign. I was so appreciative of this young man's helpfulness and efficiency that a simple "thank you" hardly seemed adequate. I offered him money as a "thank you". Of course, being the caring natured gentleman that he clearly is, he refused my offer, but I insisted that he take it.

Andre Smith is not only a teenager, but he happens to be a black male. I stand proud of this young man whom I barely know. Kovan and Sandra, and indeed Bermuda, ought to be proud of him. If only the spirit of Andre Smith can catch fire in Bermuda, particularly among our teens, what a better place our country will be.

"Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end" (Words by Scott Adams).

Mr. Editor, I say best wishes on your Charity Campaign and I hope that this story will be a spark to light the fire of charity in Bermuda.

Dr. ANDREA LIGHTBOURNE, C.T.M, B.T.M.

City of Hamilton

Qualified, but no job

November 30, 2009

Dear Sir,

Having read the study about how there is a high rate of black males dropping out of school, I would like to give people a view from the other side of the fence. I am one of the exceptions. I am a black male who did indeed take advantage of the opportunity to get an education. I am from a middle class family and was given the opportunity to attend private school from primary through to secondary education. Throughout my educational career, it was basically preached to me that if you put in the work now and stay in school, get an education, you will be rewarded. I carried this mentality through my school career right up until I got my Bachelor's degree.

Wanting to separate myself from others in the job market, I immediately pursued a Masters degree three months after finishing my undergraduate studies. For some strange reason I had hopes of returning back here, to my home, with an advantage and thought people would look favourably among my accomplishments, especially since people like me, young black males, are ridiculed so much for not making much of themselves. In a perfect world this story would have a great ending, but it doesn't, at least not yet. Upon my return to the Island I did what any other graduate would do. I got my resume out and was eager to get interviews. This process, I thought would be exciting, but instead it continues to be a struggle and a huge discouragement. Why, you may ask? For some unknown reason I was constantly told I needed experience, and in some cases these were graduate/entry level positions.

I have now been back for a couple years now working a job that quite honestly I could have done straight out of high school. Why? Is it because corporate Bermuda does not want to take a chance on me? Whether colour plays a part in it, or people see me as a threat because I am trying to actually establish myself, I don't know. I am not after anyone's job. All I want is a fair chance.

I have searched both Government and the private sector for jobs and have been on countless interviews. Why is it that the majority of the interviews I have been on, I'm the only one with a Bermudian accent in the room? I have seen the favouritism of the "friend's network" or the old boys club when it comes to hiring. Quite frankly, it disgusts me to see a company hire someone with less qualifications then me, because of their nationality or colour. Stay loyal to your fellow countrymen is the mindset I have seen, especially in the private sector. It's no secret that it is not what you know, it's who you know in Bermuda. This is a slap in the face and is an underlying issue for the young black males that do make it out of college.

What annoys me even more is to know how hard my parents had to work and all the sacrifices they made to put me through school, to give me the best education that they could afford. Does anyone know what it's like to be the first and only male to graduate college in his entire family? Surely an island as mature and giving as Bermuda would allow me the opportunity to at least give something back to my parents. Something that would make them feel like their work was not in vain. Something like a good job perhaps? But no, it has yet to happen, even now with experience I cannot find a job that comes remotely close to my skill set.

For the record my field is one that is in demand and there are not many Bermudians that hold these positions. Over-qualified? I have never heard of someone doing a job too well. Yet I've heard that excuse as well in an actual interview. It's almost a joke. We up and coming adults are misled into thinking that our hard work is going to get us somewhere. None of the guest speakers that came to my secondary school graduation would give the slightest hint that favouritism exists in Bermuda's job market and for good reason I suppose. They probably didn't want to discourage us. It sure would have been nice to get some kind of warning because it's a lesson that I had to learn the hard way. I am basically forced to accept a job way below my qualifications just so that I can have an income, because last time I checked Bermuda is not a cheap place to live in.

You would think this would be enough to make someone like me give up and just settle for less or move off the island which is actually what I considered at first. Questions such as "why love a country that doesn't love me back?" Or, "I wonder if I moved off of the island, became a citizen of another country and applied for a job in Bermuda would it be breeze to get a job, cross my mind daily. I think you know where I am going with this. This behavior has got to stop in Bermuda. Even though I harbour this frustration and am constantly reminded of how unfair it is everyday I go to work in a position that is not designed for me to grow as a professional, I cannot and will not let the politics of this Country's hiring practices break me. What I have, no one can ever take away from me, my education and experience, and that will continue to grow as I get older.

There are many more like me that need to speak up and I encourage them to do so and maybe our Government will re evaluate the way business is conducted on this island. It is about time that Bermuda starts to make use of its most precious and useful resource, its people.

SUCCESSINBDA@HOTMAIL.COM

Southampton

Black male study

November 29, 2009

Dear Sir,

While CURB had no objection to The Royal Gazette covering the recent members' forum on the results of the Black Male Study, we were taken aback by how the coverage was framed.

Mr. Cordell Riley gave a factual overview of the study explaining some of the statistical language behind it. His main thrust was in comparing the Bermuda Study to others done in the US, it appeared that fixing the racial component of the income disparity between white and black males would be difficult to fix, if indeed it was fixable. Mr. Riley gave no critique of the study.

Your coverage, however, gave readers the impression that Mr. Riley was at odds with the researchers. In response to questions from the floor about the small sample size of the qualitative study, Mr. Riley did say that he would have gone to more schools. This same issue came up at the release of the results at the Berkeley Institute and Dr. Monique Jethwani-Keyser, of Columbia University, indicated that they did indeed interview more people but those results had not as yet been written up. So there was no discrepancy between Mr. Riley's comments and the researchers'. Qualitative research is used to probe issues that are not easily addressed in quantitative surveys and is usually conducted in small groups using various methods.

The key and most worrying issue pulled from the 2000 census statistics is the ongoing disparate income between white males and black males, i.e. black male income was $5,600 p.a. less than white males. This disparity was due to three issues, education (14%), industry (57%) and race/discrimination (29%). As Mr. Riley pointed out, the disparities due to education and industry could be (hopefully) fixed, however, from the US experience the disparity due to race/discrimination (29 percent) would prove far harder to eliminate.

LYNNE WINFIELD

President

Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda

Editor's note: As was made clear in the story, The Royal Gazette report was based on interviews with participants after the meeting including Mr. Riley, who stated in relation to the sample size: "That in my view represents a problem. I would have gone to all of the senior schools. If you've only got one school, you've only got one side of the information. We're making these assumptions based on that narrow view."

Taxis are squeezed

November 27, 2009

Dear Sir,

Please grant me the opportunity to air my opinion on the article and comments by the Minister of Works and Engineering Derrick Burgess printed in The Royal Gazette Monday, November 23, 2009.

Under the heading 'Unacceptable' for a below par taxi service on holidays, says Burgess, I would like to provide food for thought to your readers and the public using our taxi services provided 24/7.

I believe myself to be somewhat knowledgeable and familiar not only with the taxi industry but also the Bermuda tourism industry, as is Minister Burgess. I can say that Minister Burgess and I have a common history in parallels in the tourism trade, both of us go back to the beginnings of the Holiday Inn Hotel in St. Georges.

Over the years I learnt that our objectives are sometimes very much the same and in this case it is 'service' to the public. The best service possible obviously we are talking about!

I also must state that historically there have not ever been more than two Ministers of Tourism who understood, comprehended and have been able to produce and develop a real "Bermuda Tourism Product" which the BDOT could work, market and sale overseas by our very own BERMUDIANS.

We have reached an "ALL TIME LOW" in the tourism industry due to courtesy of unprofessional leadership, no tangible directives and very little management skills by the people in power.

It is easy to talk the taxi service down, but hard to take for us in the industry. Last year we experienced an all-time high fuel cost (but the Government profiteered on high tax percentage). We pay high customs duty on imported parts service and maintenance. The numbers of Minibus Services and Limousines have risen and done a deep cut into the taxi drivers income. The implementation of the Digital Dispatching and GPS locater added more to the operating cost. the last rate increase was a poor excuse. The economics of operating/driving a taxi hit rock bottom in 2008/09 and without some sort of financial adjustment, there is no betterment for the industry in the near future.

Yes, it is a fact that we have 600 taxis, but so what Minister Burgess, it means absolutely nothing. You may as well say that there are 300 or only 200 taxis on the road. The reality is that a large number of drivers have now taken a second job in order to provide for their families. Believe that, a few of us had to get other permanent employment and driving taxi is secondary to enable them to survive and maintaining financial security.

When a taxi driver has now a second employment he/she cannot because of a holiday, just jump into the cab and drive. I assure you most of us love to work holidays because of the higher rate. Many of us are working now between 12 and 24 hours per day to be able to pay bills and arrears inflicted last year.

We feel the downturn of the economy and can provide testimonials regarding the economic downturn.

Think about this, lets talk and walk the real issue!!!

In 1997 (12 years ago) Bermuda had 12,000 beds available for visitors per night and 600 taxis extending service Island wide.

The DOT reported for November 1997 26,712 AIR ARRIVALS, which were up by 7.21 percent over the 24,915 air arrivals in November 1996.

It is also reported that:

The US and Europe AIR ARRIVALS are down by three percent respectively but arrivals from Canada, the UK and the rest of the world were up by 0.8, 5.1 and 6.5 percent respectively over the same period.

What's happening today???

Do I have to mention the CURRENT AIR ARRIVALS!!! TOURISM? TOURISM? TOURISM?

Do you or anybody else think that in the taxi industry, its drivers, owner, operators had been forced THEN to seek a second job or alternative employment in comparison with today? NO, the cabs were rolling in and out of the airport and serviced hotels, cruise ships and the general public throughout the island — BETTER!

We cannot blame everything on the 'economic downturn', in all honesty we must have a good and hard look at who are the professionals of the trade and Government and responsible for the decision making process.

I realise that we are all passionate in what direction our leaders are taking us and our country is heading. We must learn from the past and act responsibly at the current time for the best result and outcome for our future and generation to come. As tourism is at this time a near dead horse I believe it will take tremendous efforts and changes in finding a Minister who is a dedicated professional, sensitive to its people's needs, knowledgeable of the characteristics of the Bermuda product regarding developing, marketing and sales.

We have to overcome the obstacles of the past, when a Master placed a crown on his head and anointed himself as the leader.

We are Homo Sapiens/Modern Human derived from Homo Erectrus (a forward thinking and walking being) for the sake of all, forget about what colour the skin.

We must rise to the level and accept ONLY the best, with best interest for all (by intellect and compassion) shall be elected by means of a 'DEMOCRATIC' process.

We must seek progressive, productive and dedicated politicians whose number one objective is to represent and serve the constituency's welfare.

FOR A DEMOCRATIC BERMUDA

Warwick

Everyone's business

November 28, 2009

Dear Sir,

Everybody's talking about crime but we don't seem to be winning that battle. Maybe the political will is not there, just like it's probably not there when the Government tries to deal with education. Let's face it, this is not easy when the community clams up and the Police are clearly not up to the task. I don't know the answer but we'd better come up with one ... and fast.

Bermuda has an economy based primarily on hospitality, construction and international business. Most of us are employed in one sector or another with the majority of the rest being employees of the Government. Most of us rely on our jobs for our income and the other side of that coin is that, if the jobs go or the employer cannot afford to pay us, then we are going to have some serious issues paying bills.

The hospitality sector is already tanking and that's probably the area where the salaries are smallest. Despite Dr. Brown's claims that hotels are going to sprout throughout the land, if you believe that I want to sell you a bridge ... and even the most diehard PLP-er has to be beginning to have some doubts about Doc's ability to deliver (although he sure can talk pretty). The construction sector is months away from drying up completely.

Sure, the foreigners will be the first to go but what we will see is smaller construction firms going out of business. And the international business sector is shrinking significantly but struggling to stay alive.

So where does crime come into this. I suspect the construction industry won't feel it but Bermuda is getting some bad press in the international travel sectors and the local newspapers, just doing their jobs, have criminal activity all over their pages. Bermuda's reputation as a 'safe' destination is no more ... and I had that from a horse's mouth, the Editor of a well known travel magazine. Ask any retailer on Front Street to tell you how their business is when tourists don't show up.

But the biggest impact will be felt in the international business community. Until now the shootings, the muggings, the home invasions and the general criminal activity has targeted local homes and families. The first international business executive or member of his family to get hurt ... shot, beaten, mugged, raped ... this house of cards is going to come tumbling down. The only business that will prosper will be Bermuda Forwarders. ... moving people out.

All I can say is that either we need to get the PLP to find some competent people to run things or we need to find someone else to be the Government.

CRIME FIGHTER

Southampton

Leaders deserve blame

October 30, 2009

Dear Sir,

We, as a black community, are collectively responsible for our young black males, including the criminals. They are our values and our priorities and the leadership that we have chosen and the kind of leadership that we have accepted (even tolerated!) that has created our society and has created our social problems (as well as any successes we may have had).

We will solve our own problems, if they are ever solved, no matter how many thousands of dollars we pay foreigners to tell us what we already know, or should know – or merely to entertain us, since we will go to listen to a foreigner when we will pay no attention to another black Bermudian who has been telling us the same thing for decades.

I believe in the value of having the insights and experiences of others injected into our thinking and discussions but many of our greatest failures are the direct result of our total dependence on, and the accepting "hook, line and sinker" of, the advice of some short-lived foreigner who knew less about Bermuda and its people than we do.

Our "young black males" and our old black male (and female) leaders all demonstrate – even if in very different ways – the extent to which we have all internalised the contempt and lack of respect for our black selves and each other, which was modeled for us for so many centuries by our white masters and rulers. But we now know that. So we are now responsible. So let us begin by not only bestowing the obligatory respect, status, privilege and prestige on our leaders but by demanding that they, in return, demonstrate the same respect, consideration and concern for the black community which bestowed the honour on them, including the least and most alienated among the black community. When our leaders humble themselves enough to both have and show true concern and commitment to our alienated, often unrepresented and disenfranchised, Blacks on the margins of our society, we may do more to address the crime and alienation than anything that the Governor may do, no matter how many foreigners he may import to solve the crime.

As long as so many of our high profile leaders demonstrate the kind of lack of respect and a lack of a sense of value for the rest of us in the black community, we cannot be surprised when those who think that they have nothing, or less, to lose, if they show the same lack of respect for both themselves, each other and the rest of us and so are prepared to kill themselves and us.

Only we, collectively, can solve our own problem of crime and we may have to change some of our own values and priorities to do so. Those high profile public figures who create the ethos and values of our society must accept their own share of responsibility for the nature of our society.

DR. EVA N. HODGSON

Crawl