A healthy choice

This was sent to Corrections Commissioner Edward Lamb and copied to The Royal Gazette.

May 11, 2010

Dear Mr. Lamb,

Please allow me to congratulate you on this extremely important step and decision you've made and taken, (in reference to health issues for the inmate population in the prisons). It's a healthy choice you have made Stopping the use of tobacco in the prisons is a step in the right direction; now I would like for you (who controls the prisons), to put some thought into what I'd once before recommended; which had been in reference to using "inmates/prison labour" to counteract the filthiness we see more of on the public roadsides, beaches and bushes. There was at one time, "Work Squads" that came from out of the Prisons on a daily basis, who were escorted/overseen by Officers. These inmates, while out, proceeded with cleaning the roadside, trees and beaches of rubbish Why hasn't this method of curbing debris been reintroduced? I also believe this will also provide an inmate an ability to contribute to paying off either their fines or child support or any other expense that has caused them to be incarcerated. The inmate can and should receive "X amount" of dollars for their labour.

RAYMOND RAY

St. George's

Not good Police procedure

May 10, 2010

Dear Sir,

With all due respect to Mr. Carlton Simmons, I am sorry, but there never was a chance or (deal). For the Bermuda Police Service to enter into a deal with 42nd Street, Parkside or any other gangs in Bermuda would not be good Police procedure unless there is an attempt to cultivate a snitching network within a particular gang family. I can assure you that those in the hierarchy of the gangs are aware of that mode of operation.

The Police are the thin blue line that are charged with public safety. They are the thin blue line that most of the time stand alone! The gangs of Bermuda are the criminal elements of Bermuda who have formed these gangs to attain a power structure in Bermuda and to be able to intimidate the social structure and fabric of Bermuda and the law abiding citizens of Bermuda! There is no honour among gangs for the social structure, Government, Police, religious or any civilised structure. Their honour is for the gang they belong to (you notice I say belong to) and their immediate families! Most of the families are part of the gang. They benefit from the gang's criminal activity, This is an economic reality. Do you honestly believe that a family member is going to bite the hand that feeds them that gives them the bling?

Also Mr. Simmons they fear for their own personal safety. What causes young people's involvement in gangs? The number one reason is for protection or security from the gang violence which occurs in schools and neighbourhoods where they live. Mr. Simmons, take the lead and organise and utilise these nine steps, a strategy if you will for dealing with gangs in the community or Parishes of Bermuda:

1. Set up a hot line for youths and parents where advice on dealing with gangs can be disseminated.

2. Make it a criminal act for anyone to recruit or intimidate on school grounds students to join a gang, punishable by expulsion and civil court.

3. Insist that Schools make available a rich assortment of extra-curricular programmes for students and provide incentives for them to participate in these programmes.

4. Organise a series of workshops on street gangs, to be taught to parents, grandparents and guardians of school age children.

5. Provide public seminars on "Street Gangs" throughout the calendar year.

6. Run a series of articles in newspapers on street gangs. Stripping of their mystique and exposing them for what they are!

7. Encourage service clubs and Church groups to sponsor a battery of community speak-outs during the year on the topic of street gangs, with the help of the Police, courts, youth service agencies and schools.

8. Recruit and organise an army of citizens to patrol their communities and erase gang graffiti whenever it appears.

9. This I am sure has been implemented by the Bermuda Police. Establish a gang intelligence unit within the department which can function as a clearing house and monitoring centre for Gangs!

As for the issue that prompted this letter, I suggest that Police Commissioner Michael DeSilva is correct in his response of comparing apples to oranges. I do not know Commissioner DeSilva, but I once knew his parents and they did not raise a 'let's make a deal' son I am sure. I wish him all the success in the world and with Sen. David Burch and the Thin Blue line behind him, there is hope for Bermuda and her People.

MICHAEL E. PITTS

Tampa, Florida

Not yet fully apprised

This letter was sent to Mr. Mulderig, at Butterfield Bank, and was copied to The Royal Gazette

May 3, 2010

Dear Mr. Mulderig,

I have written a couple of letters to you through The Royal Gazette, which have been published. You addressed some of the issues I raised in my first letter, at the AGM, however I do not feel they were fully answered. To this end I enclose the two letters written to you and would ask in particular that you answer:

* over the past five years, at what value did they issue the share to the Directors as part of their compensation package, when serving as Chairman of the Compensation Committee? Will you provide a breakdown of all (executive and non-executive) Directors' compensation packages for the past five years? In particular:

— what were the compensation terms for both Thompson and Ferrett

— what are the compensation terms for Mr. Kopp and Ms Marshall, both of whom seem to have amassed a substantial number of shares

— why were they given the opportunity to participate in the Investor Group, when the other shareholders were not

* which Directors and Officers, including those serving between 2000 and 2010 whether still on the Board or not — executive or non-executive disposed of their shares between January 1, 2006 and March 1, 2010?

In the last three Annual Reports it was stated somewhere buried in the Notes that Directors and Executive Officers held

* 1,441,125 shares the end of 2007 — see page 101 of the AR for 2007;

* 571,713 shares at the end of 2008 — see page 80 of the AR for 2008; and

* 424,315 shares at the end of 2009 — see page 102 of the AR for 2009

Just over 1 million shares removed in the past 2 years, two-thirds of those held. I now understand that the share numbers given relate only to those who continue to serve as Directors as at the year-end concerned. However, I note that Mr. Duperreault and Mr. Stewart, among others, stood down in 2008 just around the time when the banking crisis commenced. Have they disposed of their shares?

* the Bank adopted a stock option plan for executive officers and employees in October 1997. Has the Board ever granted stock options to non-executive directors, and if so, to whom?

* have you personally ever owned shares or options directly or indirectly? If the answer is 'yes', how many shares and options did you own beneficially as at December 31, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009?

*how much did you pay for your shares and options, and how much did you sell or exercise them for?

* did any other non-executive directors own any shares or options beneficially as at December 31, 2006, and if so, did they see their shares or exercise their options in 2007, 2008, or 2009? How much did they sell their shares for, or exercise their options for?

* the recent Rights Issue document states on page 26 that:

"$5.8 million of share based compensation expense as all stock options and deferred incentive shares immediately vested on change of control, offset by an equal and opposite increase in shareholders' equity of $5.8 million" — what are the details for this event?

*was the Stock Option Trust used to buy shares from executive officers or non-executive directors or employees during this period, instead of the Trust purchasing such shares in the market?

* Jardine Matheson's annual report for 2007 says it sold part of its holdings in the Bank for US$54 million. What percentage of the Bank's shares did Jardine Matheson own prior to the $54 million sale, and why did it sell such a large amount of Bank shares in 2007?

* the Bank's Annual Report for 2007 no longer lists Jardine Matheson as holding more than 5% of the Bank's shares as at December 31, 2007. Does this mean that Jardine Matheson sold all of its shareholding sometime in 2006 and 2007?

* what were terms of the "retirement" of Mr. Thompson and Mr. Ferrett; and

* is it true that Mr. Ferrett was, subsequent to his termination, retained and compensated as a consultant by the Bank?

* has Mr. Thompson been retained under a similar arrangement?

* the Shareholders have been given the message that Mr. Ferrett and Mr. Thompson were "responsible " and they misled the Directors, who were "not responsible". If that is true, does the Bank/the Board have any intention of commencing proceedings against those who misled both you and the Shareholders?

The principal purpose behind this letter is to try to ascertain what has been done by you and your Board on behalf of your shareholders to whom you owe a fiduciary and moral duty. We have not yet been fully apprised. Your shareholders cannot help but feel the answers given are self-serving and bear an approximation only to what transpired. As an aside and for the future, we need to encourage you and your Board to follow best practice standards of transparency and accountability, to try to prevent anything similar happening again. To the Regulators of Bermuda it is time to join the rest of the world and introduce that level of regulation that will go some way to preventing the runaway excesses of the past three years and consequent near financial collapse of the Bank. All of these combined will go a long way towards rebuilding confidence in the future of the Bank and... Bermuda Inc. I look forward to your written response. Yours faithfully

MICHAEL SPURLING

Ps the sword is still there should you choose to fall on it.

Not a good thing to see

Dear Sir,

St. George's is another world. After howling all winter for cruise passengers some of the few remaining places of interest were closed on Saturday. The town was busy with visitors. Some visiting friends went there and there was no Fort Catherine and no National Trust and all they remembered was a rowdy group of young men by the main bus stop hurling four letter words at a large number of visitors waiting for a bus to get out of town. Not Nice Kenny, Not Nice.

WATCHING

Paget

One down, one to go...

May 13, 2010

Dear Sir,

A friend in Bermuda has written something about the departure from office of a certain Mr. Brown here in the UK in the exact words of a comment reportedly made by the Premier of Bermuda (Royal Gazette, 22nd October 2009) regarding the demise of the Mid-Ocean News last October, to wit: "One down, one to go." Hallelujah.

GRAHAM FAIELLA

London, UK

Remove illegal signs

May 17, 2010

Dear Sir,

It seems that HSBC wants to be a good citizen. In that case they should remove their illuminated very red signs from the new Front Street building. The signs are illegal and if the bank gets away with them then look out because everyone will want some. There are a number of places which might, just might, follow the bank's lead ... for instance XL.

SIGN PAINTER

Paget

Time to honour others

May 13, 2010

Dear Sir,

I am all up for honouring Dame Lois, believe me I am. I know all the contributions she made to Bermuda. However, three years in a row? I mean it is National Heroes Day. The word Heroes is plural. If it is going to be a day for her, name it Dame Lois day. That's fine with me, but I thought the idea was to commend the many Bermudians who have contributed to the island. Why not Sir Henry Tucker or L.F. Wade? Why not Teddy Tucker? And despite this day as an attempt to distance us from Britain, why not Sir George Somers? We wouldn't be Bermuda without his founding, I think honouring him once on that day isn't that bad. Why not Shaun Goater? The point is there are other Bermudian heroes. Let's start honouring them too. Also, when we honour a hero, let's put out lots of information on them and why they are honoured. Send it to schools to be read because many Bermudian youth do not know of our heroes. You can start with Dame Lois herself. Many don't know what she fought for. Sad when a people don't know their own heroes.

ROBERT DAVIES

Devonshire

What language engenders

May 14,2010

Dear Sir,

I am sorry to have to say this, but I am astonished and, yes, disappointed that the Minister for Human and Cultural Affairs, Neletha Butterfield — in her final response to a question put to her during an interview conducted earlier this week regarding the (unsavoury) Filipino matter brought about by the Immigration Minister's unfortunate comments felt it necessary to say that, "This too shall pass!" Really? With a dismissive comment like that, the Minister should know only too well that such language engenders even more obnoxious and rude behaviour, which, in this case, is currently being delivered upon the generally benign Filipino populace. So needless! To hear the Premier use these very words is expected these days; to hear this Minister echo them... ugh!

SOUTHAMPTON RESIDENT

The silence was deafening

May 4, 2010.

Dear Sir,

"Inasmuch as ye have done it into one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

I read with interest the article entitled, "United for Change — A Response to the Green Paper." I immediately concluded that this was outright, blatant hypocrisy. How can these ministers of the gospel so readily take this high moral ground position when they have in essence neglected the Bermudian people, their welfare and their preservation? For more than 30 years, Dr. Eva Hodgson, many other Bermudians and I have been denied our basic human rights of freedom, justice and equality. In spite of being two of the highest qualified women in education, we have never had a job commensurate with our qualifications, competencies, skills and abilities.

Where was the church when we were fighting to get a job in our own country? The church did not so much as raise a finger or lend a listening ear. The church's silence was deafening. In Matthew, chapter 25, an account of the Parables of the Ten Virgins, the Talents and the Sheep and the Goats is recorded. Matthew 25:42-44 states, "For I was hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in, naked and ye clothed me not, sick and in prison, and ye visited me not."

Will the Great Judge of the whole earth have reason to say to some, "For I was fighting for freedom, justice and equality and you remained silent and dismissed my cause. For more than 30 years I applied for jobs, and was continually denied job opportunities, yet, you did not join me in the struggle."

Are these ministers of the gospel their sisters' keepers? Is their God a God of Freedom, a God of Justice and a God of Equality?

MURIEL M. WADE-SMITH, PH.D.

Smith's

Time to leave office

May 17, 2010

Dear Sir,

When is it going to occur to Premier Brown that he should leave now because he is no longer a lame duck ... he is a dead duck.

WATCHING

Paget