A pessimistic view

September 18, 2006

Dear Sir,

A very large percentage of Bermuda?s black population have been raised and live in densely populated and congested areas with very little greenery available to them, and many of the very same people work very long hours or shift work with very little time for enjoying Bermuda?s parks. I often notice that even on holidays when they camp they are in close proximity to others.

I was one of those fortunate enough to spend my early years (and many of my later years too) in ?the bushes? or ?in the land? of Hamilton Parish with farms and open spaces all around. I so appreciated ?my? space that I even regretted when increasing lights began to appear opposite me as the Harrington Sound area began to be developed! So, unlike some, I consider it a criminal act to build the Hospital in the Botanical Gardens ? and I do not really care what the rational may be ? cost, noise, or inconvenience. When it is gone, it?s gone.

But I recall commenting to a friend about our overdevelopment. She made two comments. 1. People have to have somewhere to live. 2. I would hate to live in ?the bushes?. I like next door neighbours. My conditioning in this matter is not that of many other black people and therefore our appreciation differs, if that were not so the Cabinet would not even have come up with this proposal in the first place.

Unfortunately, we cannot appreciate what we have never experienced, or of which we have been deprived. So further deprivation to those who have been deprived does not seem criminal. But there are consequences. But that is not the only reason that this Government can do something that seems criminal to a few of us.

Not too many PLP supporters read the Mid-Ocean News but when they do and read the lengthy irrational attack on the Government by Observer Warwick (why do not these people have the guts to sign their name?) Mid Ocean News, September 8 (on uncivil civil servants did not just become uncivil under the PLP) even though this Government has no straightforward affirmative action policy, even unsatisfied PLP supporters ? and most black people ? conclude that nothing which the PLP does will be as disastrous for them as returning power to those with a mentality like Observer.

That diatribe overlooks the fact that some of the greatest blunders of the PLP were a mere continuation of UBP policies e.g. The attempt to solve the eleven-plus problem by building that monstrosity of CedarBridge (on the advice of outsiders) which was not only a betrayal of their promise to make it a tripartite institution but which ensured the permanent segregation of Government Public Schools ? which may have been the UBP intention in the first place.

But I am not going down a list. Commentators like Observer Warwick give this Government more unchallenged power and permanence than any that could be given them by their most die hard supporters.

A better way?

September 22, 2006

Dear Sir,

Is Bermuda a Christian Fundamentalist country? One becomes tired of people relying on quotations from a 2000-year-old book. If religions progressed with time, the world would be a much better place.

Funding education dilemma

September 21, 2006

Dear Sir,

I am in the process of going overseas to college. In my pursuit, I have gone to the bank for a loan, only to find out that I need collateral. Unfortunately, I don?t have anything that has the collateral in the equal amount I am asking for in my loan. I researched, by calling the other banks to find out if their criteria is the same and they gave the same information.

Does this mean that I cannot further my education because I don?t have the finances to start with? I work with children and, apart from my situation, it saddens me that some our youth are in the same situation if not worse than mine. The island doesn?t offer enough scholarships to accommodate the youth island wide, not even the percentage of them that would want to further their education. Hopefully, in the very near future changes can be made to assist persons in this dilemma.

Writer missed the point

September 18, 2006

Dear Sir,

In response to Not Going Away Either I would like to make it perfectly clear that we are not opposed to affordable housing at Loughlands and we sympathise deeply with Bermudians who have not been able to afford a house and sometimes can afford and cannot find a house to buy.

We are objecting to the scale of the development, the 96 units, and we want fellow Bermudians to note that we have in our area the Elbow Beach Hotel, Coco Reef, Horizons, Coral Beach Club, Harmony Club, The Bermuda College, a supermarket, two churches, and a primary school. Added to this is the new Sky Top condos, the new condos or apartments (I don?t know which) at Frithholme Gardens of which only the first phase has been completed and only God and Gilbert Lopes know how many more are going to be crammed up on that hill, and the new Royal Harmony condos which are across the road from the Paget Gas Station.

So, put all this in an area that has Bermuda?s only out of town red light after which the Paget Pharmacy into which cars and bikes are continuously moving and you have very high density traffic. Furthermore, it seems that Not Going Away Either may have missed the point. We all recognise that affordable housing is a desperate issue. But, if our government can hide development from the public behind an S.D.O. and not allow for public input, it is running roughshod over all Bermudians and our entitlement to natural justice. Do we want to live in a society where the government does what it pleases and we just have to ?get over it??

End arrogant disrespect

August 25, 2006

Dear Sir,

I am writing with great concern about the recent Special Development Order put through for the Loughlands property in Paget. I am getting so many mixed signals from this government which was supposedly chosen by the people ? for the people. But the people seem to be the last thing this government has in mind. When a group of over 200 residents of the area of Paget send a petition to the Minister of Environment, Neletha Butterfield and the petition totally gets ignored, however the next thing we see in the paper is a Special Development Order which has included government?s approval to change the zoning to build 96 units to an already burdened area on South Shore Road Paget, then it appears to me that the people got nothing less than arrogant disrespect from their own government.

But wait, there?s more. I see huge announcements in the paper from the Premier inviting us, the residents of this Island to attend Sustainable Development forums for which government paid thousands of dollars...to talk about what? When they have not even remotely studied the possible effects to the environment and impact on the residents of this area and surrounding areas, by putting additional stress on the traffic, sewage disposal, school system, then they should just have saved the tax payers a whole lot of money because this is just another mockery by this government to stick it to its very people that they don?t care how anyone feels or thinks, they will just do whatever they want, whenever they want.

The residents of Paget had accepted the fact the Gilbert Lopes was planning on putting a hotel in the Loughlands estate. We are not against the housing development of this beautiful eight acre estate. It?s the arrogance of this government to go forward and put through a Special Development Order bypassing planning completely and not allowing the residents to see the plans or voice their opinions. That is what we are angry about. And didn?t this government also do the same thing to the residents of Mary Victoria/Alexander Road and Perimeter Lane, Pembroke, and also Anchorage Road in St. George?s?

Already the area has seen 100 privately owned condos built on Elbow Beach, 32 at Skytop and indications of a development at Coco Reef with approximately 60 some condos. This government is bound to destroy every single open space on this Island ? with the last thing on their mind being the environment. All I pray for is the day when an election is called and the People of this beautiful Island, my home and that of my Bermudian children, speak out and elect not to be disrespected and shut out by this government anymore.

Build the hospital now

September 19, 2006

Dear Sir,

I?m getting really disgusted with all this talk about a new hospital ? just build the damn thing! And do it soon, so I can enjoy the amenities. I?m not getting any younger. My man Burchie?s got the right idea. Screw everybody, get over it, it?s a done deal, and if you have any problems, well, you?re just ?scurrilous? (I like that word ... almost as much as my man Randy H and every time he says ?certainly this and certainly that? ... like that means they were thinking about it anyway). Look, who cares whether the damn thing is in the Botanical Gardens, on Victoria Street, at Government House, put the damn thing in Par-la-Ville Car Park for all I care ? there?s never gonna be a hotel there anyway.

Sustainable development... I wanna sustain me first! Talk,talk, talk, talk, talk, and more talk ... that?s all these clowns ever do. Look, whoever?s the Minister of Hospitals ? just do a poll and see how many people give a goddamn where you build this stupid thing. Of course, the Wingates, the National Trusts and all the other bleeding heart conservationists and well-to-doers who go to the Lahey Clinic and Johns Hopkins whenever they want, are gonna complain.

Fuggetaboutem. Just build the place and build it now. Look, you ain?t got much time to get those contracts in place. I think Wayne might be gaining on you. Hey, I also heard that 200,000 people visit the Botanical Gardens every year. Well, Mr. Editor, they must be the ones parking their cars at the Ag Show or they?re going at night, ?cuz I never seen no 200,000 people in there.

Our liberty is being stolen

September 23, 2006

Dear Sir,

There is something wrong with this picture. The PLP Government hired Pro-Active Construction Company to build the Berkeley facility against the recommendations of Works and Engineering experts. Since this is a Government project, this means that Pro-Active is to be paid out of the public purse, which to date, has caused the public (that?s you and I), twice the initial cost, with the price still rising. Now Government, in its infinite wisdom, fires Pro-Active for bungled work done, and Pro-Active has now taken Government to task by suing them.

This case is now in arbitration and we the public, whose money will again be spent for cost incurred, (I hear that Pro-Active is asking for $15 million) have been barred from these proceedings.

From where I sit, this picture is terribly wrong. We, the people should be able to hear every word of these proceedings, and I am surprised that people have not come forward to say so. Don?t you the public know what your rights are? Or are you too complacent and willing to sit back and let others do the dirty work and fight for your rights? What is going on with this arbitration is certainly not democracy? this is blatant in your face dictatorship, and when you have a dictatorship, the public is ignorant to the dealings of government.

Wake up Bermuda, your liberty is being stolen right from under you. Bermuda is on a very dangerous and slippery slope and if you want to see how fast Bermuda can slide down that slope, just sit back, say nothing and do nothing! Once you start sliding down, it?s a very fast slide. Remember, when government fear the people ? that?s ?democracy?! When people fear the government ? that?s ?tyranny?!

Time for attitude change

September 19, 2006

Dear Sir,

I had a lovely lady visit me today in Dockyard, she had her husband and her service dog with her. Being doggie-minded I asked if Sachi would appreciate some water. What followed was a conversation regarding how much people seemed to frown upon the dog being able to enter public transport. This couple were quite shocked by their rude treatment on the Sea Express and the seeming lack of awareness on the island about service dog accessibility. I was appalled to hear that the lovely employees on the Sea Express made her husband stand outside the entire journey with the dog. Thank goodness it wasn?t raining or windy today! Under no conditions were they allowing ?that flea ridden? animal in their lovely ferry in case it bit someone.

This couple even had a letter from the Bermuda Government regarding the dog which the ferry personal refused to even look at. Nor did they seem to realise that the dog was wearing his official Service Dog bib. Minister Brown ? it?s time for some education about service dogs with in your department. i know this may not seem like an important matter to you ? but it is to the many people who travel with these special canine companions.

These animals are selected for their temperament and spend years learning how to help their owners. Service dogs in Bermuda are normally seen as seeing-eye dogs ? but i assure you this is only one branch of training available to these companion animals. There are too many myths and urban legends surrounding dogs on this Island that stem from ignorance.

A service dog is supposed to be able to access any area that it?s owner needs to go. Yes, Sachi even gets to travel in the plane next to his charge. Does the Transport Ministry discriminate against this form of aid? If so, is it time for a change in attitude? I ask you, what would they have done with the dog if the woman?s husband hadn?t been with her?

Don?t destroy the Gardens

September 20, 2006

Dear Sir,

I?m American, and not a Bermudian citizen, so I know my voice doesn?t deserve as much attention as a native?s in the matter of the proposed hospital relocation onto the grounds of the Botanical Garden, but I wish to register my opposition and reasons for it. Like my lovely Bermudian wife, the Botanical Gardens is one of your national treasures. Unlike my beautiful young wife, the gardens have a history stretching farther back than we can remember.

When I visit the island, my wife?s home, we bring polite foreign guests, who like to spend money, and our favourite attraction is the Botanical Gardens. I realise that the grounds may not bring as much revenue as other venues for tourist dollars, like sport fishing, golf, or cruise ships, but some things are more valuable than money.

While a hospital expansion and relocation are clearly necessary, surely more appropriate sites can be found. One suggestion to consider is moving just two small sections of the hospital to the Gardens site (geriatrics and birthing facilities, which house patients not in need of a hospital setting anyway), and putting the rest of the hospital elsewhere while preserving the bulk of the Botanical Gardens. Please save as much of the Botanical Gardens as possible, Bermuda. I love Bermuda for a million reasons, and the Botanical Gardens is at the top of the list. Destroying this gem will definitely reduce the number of vacations spent on your lovely island by my guests and I. Destroying this garden will make my wife and my own mother sad, and we don?t want to do that when we don?t have to, do we?