This letter was penned by a reader who wishes to remain anonymous and was sent not long after my columns following the Throne Speech, one of which was entitled “Constructive work for idle hands”.

The speech underscores the OBA’s inability to sustain communication with the community. There’s a major “say-do” gap. It’s hard to argue with what’s been said in the Throne Speech, but harder still to follow what ends up being done.

The Throne Speech should form the basis of a communications initiative to update the community regularly. There’s no other way to make the public feel they’re being respected as the ultimate clients of Government. Campaigning and staying in touch with constituents are important, but it’s important for all members of the community to have access to the same information at the same time, on an ongoing basis.

The Throne Speech is the legislative roadmap and regular updates on progress, using a wide variety of media, should be a matter of course. This rarely happens under any government. Current Government communications are perhaps the worst in a long while — fragmented, apparently ad hoc and, at times, contradictory.

The omission of any reference to the SAGE Commission is a puzzle. It’s almost as if the Commission never submitted a report or took very specific positions on some critical issues facing Bermuda.

The Throne Speech doesn’t reference the airport decision as the MOU hadn’t been signed when Parliament reconvened. Since then, the rollout of this information has been sloppy, and made worse by Bob Richards’ relatively oblique way of discussing the deal. It didn’t help the other night during an interview when he said that “it’s too complicated for the average man on the street to understand” or words to that effect. This is condescending and patronizing. If you can’t describe something in two or three sentences, then you don’t understand the essence of it, either.

I often wonder if part of Government Ministers’ preparation for interviews is to anticipate the questions you might be asked, and to determine a response that’s simple, direct and honest. Based on Ministers’ performance in this regard, it doesn’t seem to be part of the protocol. But it should be.

Senator James Jardine did what Bob Richards should have done as soon as charges of $1billion lost revenue were being bandied about. Speaking in the Senate, he used facts (income vs expenses) to pull that discussion back to reality.

The way the airport deal was explained to the community was so full of gaping holes that the Opposition was able to bulldoze through with whatever speculation or accusation they wanted to. This happens again and again to this Government.

Re comments on the size of the Civil Service:

“While the figures show that the Government, with the cooperation of the Bermuda Trade Union Congress, has made headway on deficit reduction, the situation requires deeper action.

The Government, consequently, will continue working with the BTUC to get under control a situation that presents a clear and present danger to the Island.”

The SAGE report laid out as fair a way as you’ll find to address the very difficult issue of the size of the Civil Service. The number one issue that the Commission identified, with complete agreement from the unions, is the quality of the Civil Service’s top management and the lack of accountability. Some senior Civil Servants shouldn’t be in the roles they’re in. They don’t have the requisite expertise, experience or both. If you fix the management issue, the Civil Service will sort itself out. That was the number one recommendation from the SAGE Commission.

The economic situation is dire — has been for three years now. We don’t have a lot of time left to sort out the debt crisis. Bold, tough decisions are required. As much as I had issues with Ann Cartwright DeCouto when she was a Government Minister, she was courageous in imposing a ban on fish pots, a very difficult move for her given her background. But she did it, and she was right. Same type of bold courage is needed now, with clear, consistent communications to bring the community along.

KEEP US IN THE LOOP