I AGREE wholeheartedly with Elizabeth Tee of Troncossi on the value ? indeed the necessity ? of a local PR firm partnering with a foreign PR firm hired to promote Bermuda (, June 2).

Ms Tee's comments are right on the money. I have been in that precise position myself; as the in-house PR person overseas in the New York Department of Tourism office when the PR responsibilities were taken over by Hill & Knowlton back in the 1980s.

The account execs could talk the talk, but they could not walk the walk. When it came to imparting the essence of the Bermuda product and experience, they didn't have the chops. And they didn't have the (right) personal connections or knowledge that I and my island-based colleagues had.

So important when assisting travel writers and editors who always want fresh ideas for their articles ? and the right or suitable contacts once they arrive here.

Back then, too, the PR firm's news releases and presentations under the Bermuda Banner were stilted, flowery and contained errors. It was quite evident they didn't know the island and no one was proof-reading them! Scuse my parlance, but it really got my goat.

But I see the mind-set is still here after 20 years. Foreigners can do it better. Hogwash. I am convinced that no one can promote Bermuda like we Bermudians. We who are knowledgeable in our culture and history and above all are passionate about our island. Clearly these days the business is more sophisticated but I have no doubt that Bermuda can be effectively promoted by any one of our able local PR companies.

Ewart Brown needs to understand this and rethink the continual hiring of sole PR reps overseas. Buy Bermuda, Mr. Minister, and keep that million bucks afloat around these shores.

@TIMES-18:Half-wit 'P'

OUR elected representatives have all fared pretty badly over the human rights debacle, but none so badly give or take the gutless Dale Butler as "P." himself. His random grab bag of responses leads one to question the man's sanity.

He claims, wrongly, that the Human Rights Act currently protects all Bermudians. Why did he suppose that some of the churches took such furious steps to oppose the amendment? Why then did the Progressive Labour Party's own written policy demand such an amendment if P. believed it unnecessary?

There comes a point in sitting on the fence when the fence wins. Gravity takes over and the sitter is divided in two. The answer can only be that P. must be a half-wit.

@TIMES-18:Burch must go

IT'S hard to fathom the mind (if there is one) of Minister David Burch. His actions are now becoming tinged with violence and his words with ever more venom. His tirades succeed one another with increasing frequency.

His behaviour in one not vested with such (unelected) authority can only be described as thuggish. In one vested with authority his behaviour is frighteningly reminiscent of that of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe. "P." might recover some of his severely lost face by firing him.

@TIMES-18:Has Butler no honour?

YOU are to be congratulated on your fine last week. In the orgy of political cowardice that overwhelmed our elected leaders on "Black Friday" perhaps the most egregious and disgraceful was that of the much less than honourable Dale Butler.

Mr. Butler was one of the very few members of the Regressive Labour Party Government for whom I once had respect. He sacrificed much of that respect when he allowed himself to be foresworn in the ridiculous matter of Cuba, relations with whom he had publicly and rightly opposed, but off to whom he went, tail between legs, with some kind of "cultural" agreement.

He sacrificed even more respect when he supported equality before the law for gay Bermudians and then brought in an amendment to the Human Rights Act that omitted any such thing.

On Friday he crept, shamefaced, out of the Assembly Chamber and into the loo just before the "vote" in order to hide his face and what self-respect he thinks he has left from the Bishops and others assembled in the spectators' gallery.

Has Mr. Butler no honour at all? In any other civilised government but the crazy one we have in Bermuda Mr. Butler would have resigned long ago.

@TIMES-18:Flush out drug users

AS drug-related gang violence escalates one cannot help but notice that it has been almost entirely under the auspices of our drug-friendly Progressive Labour Party Government. Cabinet has several times refused to have its members randomly drug tested.

The reason is glaringly obvious. At least one Cabinet Minister must be an habitual drug user. Like many others, I have my preferred candidates. If the PLP Government wishes to lead the fight against drugs, gangs and violence it must start from a position of leadership.

This means random drug testing for all members of Parliament. If we can?t flush out corruption in government, surely we can at least flush out the drug users.

@TIMES-18:Caption error

IN reference to Dr. Edward Harris' column on March 3, the photograph for photograph No. 4 is incorrect. He has confused the stern of the as the port paddle wheel on the . The photograph is of the deck beams on the stern of the barque and not a paddle wheel on the .

The photograph shows the traveller for the main sheets for the after boom, plus the remains of the rudder quadrant, which is situated on the stern of all ships of this type.