Good ... and not so good

May 6, 2006

Dear Sir,

I must commend the Department of Immigration on providing the excellent Calypso band at the Airport to welcome tourists to Bermuda. It made the hour waiting in line at Immigration fly by in what seemed like just 55 minutes.

However, I was not so impressed when I received "Merry Christmas" stamps for my postcards at Perot Post Office. Post cards take long enough to be delivered anyway, without tricking the recipients into believing that they were mailed six months ago.

Yours following family tradition.

May 8, 2006

Dear Sir,

On a number of occasions when I was coming out of the depths of anaesthesia in the Recovery Ward at KEMH it was invariably the voice of Joanne Armstrong I heard, encouraging me to wake up.

In 1992 when I was fighting the horrors of chemotherapy, Joanne was my PALS nurse. There I was, 40 pounds underweight, no hair on my head or body, and almost giving up, but Joanne would be there, giving me strength and telling me to fight this terrible disease, and don't give up.

By the end of that year things started to turn around, and I am now a "14 year survivor", thanks to Joanne, who was my "Angel", so it is with great pleasure to hear she has received the Nurse of the Year Award, and well deserved it is.

May 7, 2006

Dear Sir,

Bermuda is crying out for a change of system of Government. Our young people, especially, want their voices heard. Most people who turned up at Khalid Wasi's Forum at St. Paul's in Paget, where Julian Hall, Tommy Vesey and Denis Pitcher made excellent presentations, seemed to agree. It's the that needs major surgery.

Whilst I was collecting signatures for the Petition for Referendum on the issue of Independence, I was saddened to note how many black youngsters of voting age just walked away saying: "" Most of the BFR team had the same experience.

What the youngsters meant was: ". Astonishingly, in Bermuda, referendums cannot be enforced by the people and are not binding on government.

The scandals, corruption, overspending of the taxpayers' money never stop. Last week $800 million cannot be accounted for by this Government. It's staggering. The problem is simply that the Government has too much power to do whatever it pleases.

What's needed is a Citizens' Initiative system whereby the people can stop what the government is doing, can introduce something they want the government to do, or dismiss the government altogether (in extreme circumstances), by way of a referendum system. It works in some other countries and it works well. It's called modern, direct or participatory democracy. It's the single most important thing we can do to limit the awesome and arrogant power of government, whichever party is in power.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

)>'Lunatics' have leftWONDERING & WANDERING

Southampton

May 10, 2006

Dear Sir,

I have just received the May 2006 edition of RADCOM, the monthly journal of the Radio Society of Great Britain.

In the letters to the editor section a letter caught my attention concerning the issuing of special event call signs by Ofcom, which is the equivalent of our Department of Telecommunications. In Bermuda, the Telecommunications Department has always been very responsive and efficient on the issuing of reciprocal licences.

The letter reads:

"I recently applied to Ofcom for two special event callsigns for my club ? the East of Greenwich Radio Amateur Club in East Yorkshire. As normal, I phoned our RSGB man Rod Wilkinson, now working for Ofcom, to seek availability of callsigns. I despatched the relevant forms to the amateur radio department of Ofcom HQ at Southwark Bridge Road, London around 5 p.m., on the Monday evening.

To my astonishment, my two special event NOVs arrived 9 a.m. of the Wednesday! Well done Ofcom and Rod for the excellent service."

What I do find amazing about this, is the application travelled over 200 miles to London and 200 miles back through the postal service in 40 hours and we are, in Bermuda, being promised a guaranteed four day delivery in Hamilton and the rest of the Island. Something is wrong somewhere! I find mail posted at the General Post Office takes five days to get to my box 30 feet away!

No further comment, Mr. Editor.

May 19, 2006

Dear Sir,

It's now quite obvious that there are two sets of standards in Bermuda, as far as public statements go. One for all the PLP black politicians, who can call/name anyone they want i.e. House Nigger, whenever they want. Obviously, if a white person did the same thing, they would be frog-marched in front of the "Tribunal".

Where are you heading Bermuda? You folks need to ask yourselves some serious questions!

May 20, 2006

Dear Sir,

Over the many years I have travelled abroad, reading the local newspapers as much as possible where available, keeps me up to date and thinking about where our Island is headed.

There has been much debate and argument on whether Bermuda should cut our ties with the motherland and become independent, or in fact could afford to go independent and have our own navy to guard territorial waters from invading Russian and Japanese fishing fleets ? which Britain doesn't even bother to keep out now ? consulates and all that is entailed by "Independence" and yet no one has suggested Spain, or even Portugal.

Europe is finally united in the thriving EEC. America is a mess, waging war wherever George Bush decides to invade next on trumped up reasons, it is also in relatively bad shape economically and many people in America have lost jobs, live in cars or in the streets, are hungry and the Katrina aftermath debacle continues unresolved and unrebuilt ? greatest nation on earth, yeah right! Why have talks with the USA at all? It's becoming the laughing stock of the entire world, and if people aren't laughing at America, they are hating it. And after Bermuda actually helped America become the USA by giving George Washington our gunpowder to win their war, the USA later screwed us with the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 thus ruining Bermuda's flourishing agricultural economy and forcing us into the subservient way of tourism to survive. Why trust a country that's already screwed you over before, in a big way and devastated your economy?

Then there were those nuclear warheads they weren't supposed on the Base in the first place ... I mean, the USA is a bit prone to backstabbing if you really look at it.

It is largely rumoured that Juan de Bermudez discovered Bermuda in 1503 on one his missions for Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Spain, leaving hogs there to sustain his ships for return exploring voyages, and yet in 1534 the Portuguese also landed on the tiny speck of Bermuda. The English didn't get there till 1609. Perhaps we really belong to Spain? Or Portugal?

Why not ask either European country if they'd like to have us, and Bermuda could enjoy the benefits of the roaring EEC "world" and vastly superior economy and lifestyle? Look at it this way, right now Bermuda has the somewhat hapless Latin motto of "Quo fata ferunt", or 'wither the fates carry (us)', whereas Spain's motto is "Plus utra" or 'further beyond', a bit better energy to that than trusting the fickle fates; "further beyond" has a more all encompassing powerful feel to it; Portugal has no motto at all, how liberating is that!

We'd have access to great medical care in every EEC nation by aligning with Spain or Portugal, and cheap, much better quality prescription drugs than Bermuda gets through the USA, as well as marvelous universities that have existed since the middle ages, not to mention paella and fab Spanish and Portuguese wines! Who knows, it might solve the escalating drug and glucose test-strip costs for the rising population of Bermudian diabetics?

No one would have to bargain with Britain for what airlines could fly in and out, we'd just be able to zip right on into Fatima if you wanted a pilgrimage to pray for someone you loved who was ailing, or to Madrid for a night of partying and shopping or a really great cultural event or to rock your socks off in Lisboa and by-pass the mess of Heathrow's chaos altogether!

The Spanish love to party and get naked (Ibiza), the Brits are too stuck up, and party is what Bermudians love to do! Sounds like a winner to me ...

JEANNE ELIZABETH BLUM

Hawaii

April 30, 2006

Dear Sir,

Despite the litany of objections to our waterfront 'make over', my support for the proposed redevelopment, was reaffirmed after having tarried at Lower Ferry to appraise our aged harbour front-replete with its unsightly docking sector.

As to why: well being as our Island home has for long attained the status of topmost in the Western Hemisphere. If true ? then surely our capital city should rate no less than Number One in the new century?

WILLIAM SCOTT

Smith's Parish

May 11, 2006

Dear Sir,

In October 1998 the PLP's platform said that a PLP Government would ensure "Fiscal discipline in all matters and new standards of Revenue Management and Accountability and Transparency in all areas of goverance" to name but a few central themes. In 2004 the PLP Platform said that the PLP Government would continue to "operate in the sunshine of public scrutiny" if re-elected (hard to continue something that you never started, but I digress). Mr. Editor, the first statement can generously be excused as an unfilled electioneering undertaking ? however the second statement has (yet again) been exposed by the Auditor General as nothing more than a bold face lie.

The Auditor General, in his Annual Report advised that out of 14 Government quangos operating in March 2005, only seven had issued audited financial statements for that year by January 2006. Of particular note, the Bermuda College only completed its 2003 financial statements this January and the National Drug Commission was of "deep concern" to the Auditor General due to the lack of cooperation in the auditing process casting "serious doubt on the integrity of the audit environment." In addition not a single Parish Council managed to issue audited financial statements this year and the only aided school to issue financial statement on time was St. George's Preparatory. However perhaps of most concern to Bermuda's workforce is the revelation that Government's largest pension and insurance funds were the "worst offenders" and that the overall situation is, in the Auditor General's opinion, "serious" since financial laws are being breached and an environment exists where fraud can thrive. Let us not forget about the BIU who have recently trumpeted the "success" of the 1981 General Strike but have failed to published their financial statements for years.

Mr. Editor, it is absolutely clear that the "sunshine of public scrutiny" is not casting its rays on the various Government quangos, and that the PLP administration is being less than forthright about the public finances ? particularly when it has been estimated that the total spending unaccounted for by the various Government bodies topped $800 million ? hardly pocket change. It begs the question as to what the PLP's definition of "new standards of Revenue Management and Accountability" is supposed to be. Clearly the PLP Government has no idea about the meaning of the word "Transparency".

Mr. Editor, no matter what political affiliation one has, the taxpayers of this country should be absolutely disgusted by the behaviour of the PLP Government (and the leadership of "P") and that party's apparent disregard for proper financial accounting and auditing.

For the public to ignore the problem does not mean it will go away ? it will merely get worse, as demonstrated by Dr. Brown's recent stay (a the taxpayers' expense) at the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai where the cheapest room is $1,000 per night (which is higher than most monthly rents for a studio apartment). Mr. Editor, it is clearly time for someone in the PLP Cabinet to be held accountable and at least publicly rebuked for the debacles and financial scandals which continue to be exposed by independent watchdogs, opposition MPs and this newspaper.

However, that is probably as remote as a having a fiscally prudent, responsible and transparent PLP Government.

MICHAEL M. FAHY

Smith's

May 10, 2006

Dear Sir,

The SPCA should be commended for their informative advertisement in today's regarding exotic animals used for entertainment. It is laughable that Ray Hollis of DNA Entertainment attempts to discredit the SPCA by referring to the organisation as "animal activists". A glance at the SPCA website says their aim is "to encourage and promote kindness to animals ? and to promote the education of the general public on the care and well being of all animals."

They have done precisely that by presenting the reality of animals used in circuses and other forms of entertainment, such as this upcoming "Animal Extravaganza".

Don't let the comment by Mr. Hollis stating that the animals' welfare complies with the "US Game & Wildlife regulations" fool you. These so-called regulations are woefully minimal: it's completely legal to provide a ten-foot, 600-pound tiger with a fraction of the living space given to most ten-pound housecats.

Breeding mills have so saturated the US with tigers of unknown lineage that the US Fish & Wildlife Service exempts these animals from full regulation.

No legitimate animal sanctuary with a respectable "habitat" for animals and run by people who "love" the animals in their care would engage in commercial activities, such as exhibitions. If you take your children to this "Animal Extravaganza" then you are teaching them nothing about these animals and you are not supporting animal conservation. You are only showing your children how exotic animals act in captivity. You are only instilling in your children the idea that it is acceptable for wild animals to be housed in cramped conditions, transported for long distances, isolated from their natural environments, and prevented from engaging in instinctual behaviours. As the SPCA says, "Support the animals, not the show".

ALEXANDRA HASSELKUSS

Paget