Are we missing the boat?

March 4, 2009

Dear Sir,

I read with interest, dismay and utter disbelief the article in today's paper about Bermuda's ranking as fifth worst performing island in the Caribbean region. The only islands that have performed worse than Bermuda are Anguilla, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Guyana and the volcano-ravaged Montserrat.

Our Premier continually mentions that we are in a Platinum Period in Tourism with regards to the as yet unseen 'development' of luxury resorts. As my mother used to say – "Nice Cage, No Bird". In other words, what use is all the development in the world if we have no visitors to fill these supposed luxury hotels? I suppose that contracting BDOT sales operations to a company with no experience in destination sales, hosting lavish DC inaugural parties, Love Festivals with $100,000 headliners and spending millions on music festivals that cater mainly to locals (no matter how it's been spun) all look good on paper.

But in the real world, where Premier Brown seems not to dwell, these spending tactics have proven to be seriously inadequate. While our "competition" is blanketing the airwaves with commercials and print advertising, I have only seen sporadic Bermuda advertising. Clearly, we are missing the boat. Additionally, I fail to see how Premier Brown acting as a bartender will encourage future generations to enter the hospitality industry. This seems to be another of his self serving PR stunts. Let's get serious about the future of not only Tourism, but Bermuda's economic survival.

DISTURBED

Paget

Arm all our Police

March 4, 2009

Dear Sir,

We've arrived at a point where serious consideration must be given to equip additional Police Officers with firearms. The Police have an armed capability now – but it has limitations as a restricted number have the training, experience and authorisation necessary to carry a firearm for operational deployments. The Police know it; the public know it, as do the criminals.

This is not a new debate but one which has accelerated in recent years with the persistent incidents of firearms being found in the possession of criminals, used in the commission of serious crimes, used to kill and maim others and yes, against the Police. Increasing the number of armed Police officers comes as no surprise to me. During my time as a senior officer and then as Commissioner, we made huge strides to improve officer safety training and equipment. We procured much needed new equipment for the armed ERT and adopted a manual of guidance for the Police Use of Firearms. Only in the past twelve years were operational safety vests, ASP Batons, modern handcuffs, Police Support Unit training and equipment introduced. My representations to the then-Minister responsible for the Police, the Hon KH Randolph Horton and Governor Sir John Vereker resulted in approval being given for all Police Officers to be issued with Captor Incapacitant Spray in 2005. It was clear that there was a collective effort, over several years, to better arm and protect the Police so as to improve their service to the country.

We've been on the threshold of expanding the armed response of the Police for several years now. I'd venture to say that we're at the point where more Police Officers need to be armed and deployed. To have unarmed Police Officers routinely coming into contact with armed criminals is akin to playing roulette. Roulette odds are not very favourable. Arming operational officers cannot be seen as a knee-jerk reaction to recent events. Between 2003 and 2004, the deployment of armed officers for operational work was at the highest ever levels. I authorised armed officers to be deployed at Cup Match for the very first time in 2004. Armed deployments for high profile Court cases became routine almost ten years ago. The deployment of additional authorised firearms officers in recent years has also become routine. The progression to equip on-duty operational officers with firearms 24/7 is now an appropriate response.

Expanding the armed capability within the Police will not come quickly or cheaply. The acquisition of several hundred quality firearms and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition comes at a substantial cost. The need for training, retraining, certification and re-certification – all necessary if internationally accepted safety and compliance standards are to be met – comes at a tremendous cost in time. As the collective efforts have shown in the past, with the will, financing and commitment it can be done. The public and the Police deserve nothing less than improved public safety and the ability to counter threats appropriately.

JONATHAN D. SMITH

Commissioner of Police 2001-2005 (Ret'd)

A grudge against sailing?

March 2, 2009

Dear Sir,

I am writing in regards to the significant reduction in the Budget in relation to the long running sailing programme that has been operating for as long as I can remember on White's Island and more recently on Darrells Island. Sailing is ingrained in Bermuda's history and culture. We were discovered by a Spanish sailor and then settled by an English one. We are a 22 square mile island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with the next closest point of land more than 600 miles away.

Yet this Government deems a tiny $75,000 in a massive $1 billion budget to be excessive enough to cut funding by 66 percent and ultimately destroy the programme all together. As mentioned in the Royal Gazette article, this programme teaches approximately 400 Bermudian children a summer the intricacies and art of not just a Bermudian but a humankind pastime, sailing.

I wonder how much the taxpayer pays for Dr. Brown's ever growing entourage of unnecessary security, a fleet of CRVs, an in-house cook and maid as well as the squandered $1.5 million renovations to Clifton that Your Highness believes is not up to his standard of lifestyle.

From the ad in the paper not too long ago for Dr. Brown's personal chef, I believe the salary was quoted at around the $60,000 to $70,000 a year range. While the man needs to eat, I would be very interested in seeing the cost of his personal "secret service" and their travel bills (as they protect him in all his trips) to the taxpayer.

So I see that the Government finds it acceptable to waste our hard earned money on one man's unnecessary ego trip, but deems a programme which services hundreds of Bermudian children to be not as important. It appears that this Government has a grudge against the sport of sailing (i.e. termination of the Queen's Birthday holiday and now this massive cutback in funds), and it makes me wonder why. I have a faint idea as to why (as do many Bermudians) – football and cricket have seen millions upon millions of taxpayer dollars being injected by the Government, while sailing has seen a drop of funding from a tiny $90,000 Government grant to a pathetic $25,000. This Government does not seek to serve Bermuda's population, but rather only a certain segment of Bermuda's people.

BERMUDIAN

St. George's

Our only hope

March 5, 2009

Dear Sir,

Contrary to popular opinion, I did not write that letter dated March 1, 2009, entitled "Is Government golf free" signed Golfer. However, I do share the same sentiment and I do have some issues with public golf course membership fees being increased at an alarming rate and the role of the Board of Trustees in these economic time.

I am of the view that The Board of Trustees have lost their way and have no idea as to how Government taxed projects are paid for. While it would be wrong for me to question their decisions in their own businesses, it is another thing when it comes to the people's tax dollars. It is my view that it is not uncommon for Government projects to be paid for over a long number of years but what is not common is for project such as the refurbishment of the Port Royal Golf Course to be paid for overnight. News flash to the Board of Trustees:

1) I and many other Bermudian tax payers are of a generation who paid for the purchase of the land and to build the Port Royal Golf Course for approximately $4 million.

2) After building the golf course — we have been paying for the maintenance and upgrades over the last 30 years.

3) Now that the necessary renovations are completed to the tune of $14 million-plus, the cost must be shared by future generations also; to ask this current generation to pay for it all over again would be criminal.

Without going into how PRGC came about and the role it has played in a divided community over the last 30 years and the injustices that could now take place if the Board continues as it appears that they will – I have stated my concerns in an early letter to the Board of Trustees.

What is most annoying as to this issued is the attitude that the Board of Trustees has taken:

¦ Refusal to meet with the clubs membership;

¦ The refusal to reply to correspondence sent to them.

¦ The refusal to answer any question put to them (meeting at Warwick Workmen club).

The arrogance of some Trustees (take it or leave it, we don't need you).

The Board's attitude and views, if left unchecked, will result in golf reverting back to the late 1960s. or as frequently stated, "back to the Plantation". The Board of Trustees' behaviour is understandable as "they have no constituency to answer to", but sooner or later, one way or another, the Minister and others responsible will have to answer for their actions. The Premier Dr. the Hon. Ewart F. Brown in his last run for election said these words: "My political ideology is unrepentantly democratic. I believe in equal rights, equal opportunity and equal responsibility."

And again when asked at a public meeting whether the introduction of the one-off payment on top of the annual subscription by Board of Trustees was going to price many seniors and long-standing Port Royal golfers out of playing there, he replied " Not on my watch; it won't happen."

Statements such as these coming from the Honourable Premier, are our only hope of putting to rest the fear of over- pricing the public golf course memberships product to the Bermudian public and those who participate in this game.

D.H. FOSTINE-DESILVA

Warwick

Kudos to The Royal Gazette

March 4, 2009

Dear Sir,

May I commend you for the timeline on Bermuda's History n the RG on February 24. I say Bermuda's history because despite being totally ignored by the white community, most of the significant events in our history had some implications for the White Community – even if it was minimal and less obvious than the Progressive Group and the CUAS. It may not be definitive and many of the events you have noted may be well known already, but I believe it can be invaluable to many in the younger generations. I was personally very interested in some of the photos that your staff unearthed. Thank you for the effort that was made to put it together.

DR. EVA N. HODGSON

Hamilton Parish

A legitimate discussion

March 5, 2009

Dear Sir,

I believe that Public Safety Minister David Burch has once again spoken on an issue in perhaps a crude and less than politically correct manner. But to suggest "Border Line Criminal" is nothing more than political garbage. Is it possible that within the words of Minister Burch some truth exists? Do the Bermuda Police have the confidence of the Bermuda public? Do the Bermuda Police have the respect or fear of the criminal element of Bermuda? I think Minister Burch in his crude fashion may have raised a legitimate discussion within the law enforcement community of Bermuda. When 20-plus armed individuals in vehicles and on bikes can descend upon a residence and terrorise a family and beat the living daylights out of an individual and leave him bloodied and beaten on the street, that does not show a fear of Police response, nor respect.

Police officers must be cognisant at all times of the civil rights of a defendant but there are times when the Police have to fight fire with fire. There are times as a Police officer when you have to respond to an incident when you have fear in your heart! There are times as a Police officer that your response cannot be to wait for back up. As a police Officer you have a duty and a sworn obligation to Protect and serve with honour in the face of adversity! If you hate to put the uniform on at the start of your shift, if your attitude is "do my eight and hit the gate" if you work your shift with an attitude of fear, it is time to seriously consider a change in your career. Law enforcement is not an easy Profession at least not on the front line. Being in Police work can be the most misunderstood line of work. Been there, done that for 22-plus years with pride, integrity and guts!

MIKE PITTS

Florida

Time is slipping away

March 3, 2009

Dear Sir,

Good day, Mr. Editor, and thanks again for this opportunity to share my opinion, something I do not take for granted. In the face of 400th anniversary of celebrations and a current showing of Uneven Fairways it appears that we (the government) have not learnt. There is no real progress and the fairways are getting worse than uneven. With the closing of St. George's Golf Course and now the much increased price at Ocean View Golf Course. It was said that one closed because it was not making money and in the face of a downturn in the world economy and the increase at Ocean View that will not make any money either.

When will the Government exercise some good common sense and get wise with economics sense? If a product is not making a profit at a marketing offer, then maybe it is time to lower the price and make up on volume sales. If the price is lowered so that Joe Public could stretch the few dollars earned a little further it allows more play and the red will turn to black. But without wisdom and vision, the people perish and purse strings will shrink a little more.

Who knows, maybe this is what the Premier is looking for at Ocean View and who knows, maybe there is a plan in hand for condos on that beautiful property. I ask this one question: "Are the people of this country being told what is really going on in this country." Take a good look around at the construction boom and the goings on at Dockyard.

Has anyone looked at Port Royal and what is going on there inside, because there are in house people working there during a closure and thousands of dollars being spent. So in the face of the other courses losing money and one already closed and another may close for purposes mentioned before, what next? Port Royal's cost is growing daily and it will never recover its cost and it will not matter what tournament is brought here once a year. The Premier had better get it through his head that Tiger does not need Bermuda, no matter how much Bermuda needs him. I can promise you this, if Tiger does come it will be with a cost which we will not be told about. Why, we will be so wrapped up in the moment that we will not even think of the cost, but just the moment. At the end of it all at Port Royal I would love for the government to tell the truth of the cost. For once the truth.

How is it that one person can hold a country to ransom and the people stand idle and thinking and hoping that it is going to get better? People you are doing the same old thing day in and day out and looking for different results, well it will not happen. Change brings about change when we change the leadership, and now is a time for change. People, think of the time your little group would like to have a tournament to raise funds for some honest purpose. At the current rate, the cost will be so high that players will not support the event. Remember this is going to affect the country on a whole so people of Bermuda please get to your members of parliament and let them know that you put them there to work for your and we want results. And to those Members of Parliament, we the people want to see those promises that were made before the election fulfilled. You know the ones I am talking about when you said "I promise to do this and do that", and now with pockets full, and getting fuller every month the people are forgotten. People of Bermuda please wake up time is slipping away and there is not much ground left to stand on, please do not fall asleep any longer.

Let us think of our future and those coming behind us and hold onto the little that is left because when it gets to the point of a flood, "how many of us have a life raft?" Because I do not think we will be allowed on the one marked "Premier and invited guests only" as is standard procedure. 'Well readers I pray that you will do what you have to do to save our future. May God bless us all. Peace to you.

ARTHUR E. W. (SCOPSIE) HASSELL

Sandys