“Three groups spend other people's money: children, thieves and politicians. All three need supervision.”— Dick Armey

Dear Sir,

During a Senate session in the Upper House last week, Douglas De Couto, the Shadow Minister of Finance and Economic Development, called on the Bermuda public to assess whether their interests were being properly served by recent legislation and planned government spending.

He said some of the multimillion-dollar payments and legislative moves by the Government made no sense to him.

First, I commend the Dr De Couto for acting on behalf of the taxpayer, raising the issue of “value for money” because from where I sit, there seems to be little interest or concern from the public on how the Government spends their taxes.

Second, this is exactly the type of dialogue the Opposition, the Government and the people should be having. Do we get a good return from the Government for our taxpayer dollars?

If you look at any government’s bank account, whatever that balance of funds is — it does not belong to them. Those monies belong to us; the Government is only the custodian. This is money which we dutifully pay to the Government year in, year out for them to build and maintain the essential things we need and use in our daily lives. It is that essential infrastructure — of which we are all painfully aware — that is crumbling and falling apart.

It is long overdue for the public to start evaluating the merits of government spending/budgeting priorities.

Let’s think about some examples:

• Is the $1 million budgeted for a fish processing plant something you/the fishermen want and how will it help them in their fishing business?

• Did you think your $800,000 spent for a music studio — that we never got because the money was stolen by the foreign contractor — should have even been a priority item?

• Does your $100 million spent — so far — for an affordable housing project (failed) and now being transformed into a boutique hotel concern you?

• Will we ever get our money back by way of the hotel’s economic returns?

• Are you comfortable with the almost $1 billion of financial guarantees the Government has committed us to — a financial risk which is all ours — if the guarantors fail to meet their obligations?

• Are you in support of this government's decision to borrow $130 million to begin developing a luxury residential village at Morgan's Point?

• We have already spent $210 million on the previous failed attempt by the One Bermuda Alliance government. How much are you willing to keep investing in luxury properties?

• How about that $16 million we have already paid to the administrators of the Bermuda Gaming Commission who are still on the Government's/our payroll, yet after ten years, they have no gaming industry to regulate?

• What has the $3.6 million we paid to fintech consultants done for you?

Is any of this spending important to you and/or has it affected you in a positive way?

Not surprisingly, Dr De Couto’s spending concerns were met with some pushback from the Government Senate Leader, Owen Darrell, and also senator Arianna Hodgson, who defended the Progressive Labour Party administration’s accountability and fiscal responsibility in its handling of the public purse.

However, she curiously pointed back at the OBA’s record, specifically citing the Jetgate incident as an example of its lack of accountability on money matters. She should be reminded that the Jetgate saga never involved taxpayer dollars, but centred on a private donation to the OBA’s 2012 election campaign.

While there were certainly some poor decisions made by Craig Cannonier, then the Premier, ultimately causing his resignation, the issue did not involve misuse of taxpayer funds.

I would also remind Ms Hodgson that I am still waiting for David Burt’s rigorous campaign finance reform that he promised us in 2017, which would shine a light on the identity of large donors and set spending limits — as a result of the Jetgate saga — which he said would ensure democracy is not defined by who has the most money to spend on their election campaigns.

I would encourage you all to have a talk with your representative about our government's spending priorities. Particularly, have them walk you through the real return on investment you have received on all those spent millions I list above, which, while only a small sample of overall spending, adds up to $460.4 million.

Let them explain how they believe those spending decisions using your money have actually benefited you. Then, you tell them your side.

BEVERLEY CONNELL

Pembroke