Westgate hotel?

July 19, 2005

Dear Sir,

I saw part of the news tonight and couldn?t believe,that the woman being interviewed, didn?t say Westgate was going to stop treating hardcore criminals like they were hotel guests and, start treating them like criminals. Have you ever noticed that whenever an individual here goes prison they?re smiling? Think about it, if they were in a prison like the one in LA, they wouldn?t be smiling, they?ll be crying because of how rough the treatment is. When a person is locked up for murder they don?t really have a life sentence (strangely enough we don?t have a death penalty in Bermuda).

Now I?m not saying kill the murderer one time, I?m saying that he/she should be counselled so that he/she can perhaps repent of their wrong doing, and follow the right path.If that person is caught again and the person has murdered another individual (not in self-defence), then death penalty is probably the only answer (you?ll have to figure that out yourselves).

Also, regarding the cell phone driving ban law,that $1,000 fine is cool but,the individual caught needs a punishment he/she will never, ever forget probably 18 months off the road, or less if the individual cooperates and chooses to comply that,they should drive to the side of the road,before they talk to their friend on a cell phone.

Six months is too short a sentence especially when the individual,will simply go back to doing it again after their suspension is lifted. The justice system really and truly needs to think more about how to make that new law so effective,that people will want to refrain from driving while on a cell phone for good.

Timeshare users safe

July 19, 2005

Dear Sir,

This morning I read your article entitled ?Amend Timeshare Act? and noted your second paragraph in which you stated that ?Timeshare Owners who bought years ago are worried they might lose their property as their 25-year leases are up this year.?

This is erroneous as the first leases expire in 2009. If at that point they choose not to extend their leases then they will automatically revert back to the ownership of the St. G. Club Ltd as they only purchased the right-to-use for 25 years and they are not exercising their option to extend out beyond their 25-year ownership.

Our membership currently have the ability to extend their leases until 2027, at this time the St. George?s Club Ltd. have the first right to renew their lease with Government for a further 25 years in accordance with the Timeshare Act in its present state. We will of course exercise this option.

When we originally purchased The St. George?s Club ten years ago 75 percent of our more than 2,500 memberships expired in 2009. Government then extended our lease until 2027, enabling us to sell lease extensions. At this time only 20 percent of our membership expire in 2009, and the majority of these people have expressed a wish not to extend beyond this point as they are now past retirement age. This still gives the club an opportunity to sell these memberships to other people.

As much as anyone I would like to see the new legislation but it is complicated further with the new deeded fractional weeks that are now being sold in Bermuda verses the existing right-to- use.

The St. George?s Club is currently pre-selling its new eight Hillside units and these contracts will include an automatic extension to the number of years that the amended Timeshare Act will allow. All other pre- existing contracts will have an opportunity to purchase a lease extension to the number of years as stated in the amended Timeshare Act.

Premier out of touch

July 20, 2005

Dear Sir,

I was amazed at Alex Scott?s remarks in disagreement with Louise Jackson?s comments regarding the fact that people are not going to financial assistance for fear their children will be taken from them.

Mr. Scott, are you really this out of touch with the single mother situation here in Bermuda? My wife ( St. David?s MP Suzann Holshouser) seems to have become a person many of these women turn to for advice and help. I experience the problem first hand from the number of calls we get at home from these women, seven days a week and many times late into the night. The people at BHC and Financial Assistance know Suzann well from her attempts to help people in need.

From Mr. Scott?s comments on Monday in the House I see he does not believe these people exist! Telling Mrs. Jackson ?it?s not true, your nose is growing?. Mr. Scott, this is not a joking matter. Please list your phone number publicly so that you can experience a frantic call at midnight from a mother and her kids with nowhere to sleep and no one to turn to for help. Afraid to ask for assistance because her children will be taken from her if she can?t provide a home.

Come on Mr. Scott, be a real leader, admit real problems and take care of your people instead of making jokes about something as serious as family and home!

A national disaster

July 23, 2005

Dear Sir,

Mr. Editor, I write to you today to call attention to by-far-and-away the most shocking piece of news this year. ?Black-out 2005?, making the Cricket World Cup, housing crises, the Berkeley construction site; all of these issues pale in comparison to the most heinous atrocity our government has ever committed.

Nearly half of all public school students failed to graduate in 2005.

I feel the need to bring this to your attention because it seems to have been swept under the carpet. Despite his past cries of ?schools must publish?, Larry Burchall?s silence is deafening. Principals, Permanent Secretaries and Ministers remain comfortably in their positions. Everyone seems to have shrugged it off, like so many of the blatant ineptitudes infesting our government and civil service. This cannot be allowed to happen! Where is the ?expos?? Where is education?s Larry Dennis? Who will take the Ministry of Education to task?

Mr. Editor, you know that ignorance and an undereducated society is a breading ground for hate, racism, violence, ineptitude, poverty, unemployment, and a catalogue of other frightening consequences. Combine an ignorant populous with relative success and you have a dangerous cocktail of self-righteousness and narcissism. A whole generation of Bermudians will be forever lost to this failing education system, dooming our society into further depths of ?haves? and ?have nots?. This is not the ?Bermuda? I wrote about in my response to the ?Sustainable Development? initiative. Is this part of the PLP?s Social Agenda? Did I miss that page of the brochure?

I implore the Minister, the Premier, the Opposition, the Governor, Larry Burchall, anybody, everybody, not to sweep this under the carpet, not to allow such a travesty to pass uncontested. Our public school system is not fulfilling its role in society, and we need to do something very quick and very drastic to avoid losing another generation of young Bermudians.

Please help.

Seeking stories

July 17, 2005

Dear Sir,

I would like to thank the men and women in Bermuda who attended my seminars from 1992 to 2002. Most of my communication and financial courses were offered through the Bermuda Employers Council, but I also taught courses at Bermuda College and through my employer, Deloitte & Touche. I have many pleasant memories that were generated by students who willingly participated in speaking exercises and role plays. I heard so many incredible stories. There were men who discovered they were role models when a co-worker spoke up. There were others who grew in confidence and still others who shared personal stories that inspired us. I learned as much from the people I taught as I provided to them. I miss Bermuda and have fond memories of those people whose stories touched my life.

I recently was inspired to write a book that will be titled ?Finding your Way on the Path of Life.? If any of you benefited from one of my courses and have a story to share then I would be interested in hearing from you. Even if you don?t have a story, it would be great to receive a message from you. I can be reached at twmcarsonnetscape.net. Remember that the only limitations that you will ever face in life are those that you impose on yourself. So begin to be today what you want to be hereafter.