August 9, 2014

Dear Sir,

Your editorial today is a good reminder of where we came from and where we are. As I celebrate my 81st Birthday I can remember the past and have watched the change.

Mr Editor there is one thing that has not changed, we must earn foreign currency. We spend at least $10 million a week bringing in food and fuel. We all share in this problem.

This need is not a political, racial, religious or gender issue, it is about survival. We have to work together to solve this problem.

We are a “service economy” which means we earn our foreign currency by being of service to visitors and foreign residents with foreign income. We must share our homeland with others and make them feel comfortable here.

Our visitors should be subject to the same rules, laws and taxes as we are. If they feel welcome and wanted, they will stay and we will have a wide range of jobs earning foreign currency.

The development of Tucker’s Town where a few people, including my grandfather, had to sell their land in order kick start our major move into the tourist and foreign resident business. Look at the vast amount of foreign currency it has and continues to bring not our economy.

Come on Bermuda get with it, we can’t be a success in business if we are hostile to our customers and each other.

MILES EH OUTERBRIDGE

St David’s