September 28, 2006

Dear Sir,

In reference to the bright orange ?Go Home Expat? letter that has been distributed around Bermuda:

Isn?t it sad that we live in a country where there are people ignorant enough to believe this? The authors of this letter need to show me the wealth of talented, trained and intellectual Bermudians who can fill the roles in which guest workers are employed. The need for non-Bermudian employees is obvious (or so I thought)!

Something that makes me laugh (in disbelief) is that they listed ?white? countries. I?m sorry, but the last time I checked, my skin is white, and I am a Bermudian ... shocker, I know! Furthermore, Canada (one of the ?white? countries listed) is one of the largest multi-cultural melting pots in the world! There are so many different kinds of people in Canada that it?s unreal! Also, are all of our guest workers white? This is an interesting fact I have never heard. I?m just so glad that I have been enlightened ... give me a break!

The authors of these flyers and letters don?t understand the impact they could have on our Island. And it?s not just this letter. There are others! Someone I know had the following notice pinned up to the utility pole outside their home recently:

To all who this may concern

Please leave we don?t need you

Foreign workers are taking up too much space!

By order of us Concerned Bermudians

Wouldn?t it be nice if these foreigners treated us with the same lack of respect? Just imagine the flyers:

To all who this may concern

Please leave we don?t need you

Bermudian students receiving a top-class education at our colleges and universities are taking up too much space!!

By order of us Concerned Foreigners

Just imagine all the opportunities Bermudians would have then!!

So I say: ?Stay here expats, please?! Please continue to pump our economy full of your dollars. Please continue to strengthen companies on our soil so that we remain one of the richest countries in the world.

Please continue to purchase cars from Bermudian-owned businesses. Please continue to rent homes from Bermudians. Please continue to educate our children, enforce our laws, protect us and care for us when we are sick. Please continue to bring your knowledge and experience to our Island and share it with our people.

My advice to the authors of the flyers and letters is to wake up and realise that walking around with a chip on your shoulder gets you nowhere in life. No one owes you anything in this life unless you work for it.

Sitting around whining about how it?s not fair is not going to improve your situation. If you think you deserve a job that a foreigner has, then apply for it. If you don?t get it, complain to the company or the Government ? don?t threaten the innocent person who was selected over you.

Who are the people that are responsible for these flyers? Who are these cowards who anonymously speak on the behalf of Bermudians? I say show yourselves ? let us know who you are if you feel so strongly. Show Bermuda who it is that is trying to speak for them.

I am ashamed that I share the same nationality as the self-destructive pigs that are distributing these flyers around our Island. Until we become a poorer than poor country plagued by violence and evil, they will not be happy ? and unfortunately that?s where I see them going. I say ?them? and not ?us?, because I know I won?t be sticking around if it gets that bad.

Say a prayer for Bermuda, people.... we?re headed down the pipes.

TRYING TO BE A PROUD BERMUDIAN

Smith?s Parish

September 28, 2006

Dear Sir,

I?m an expat who has been working in the Bermuda insurance industry for the past two years. While discussing the recent anti-expat letters that have appeared in Bermuda, my assistant jokingly said: ?You see? If it weren?t for expats, I?d have your job!?

My initial reaction was to reply, ?if I wasn?t here, I?d be in the Cayman?s?, which is to suggest that if the island was to become too hostile to expats, the industry could simply move to another offshore location. This however, is a simplistic conclusion.

Bermuda enjoys several unique characteristics that have contributed to the success of the insurance market here. Not least of these characteristics is the island?s proximity to New York and London, but its strong infrastructure in comparison to competitors such as the Caymans has also helped. The industry is comfortably established here, which makes it easier for new entrants to make Bermuda home. Moving to the Caymans would be more than a small inconvenience.

That said, it is important to point out that the insurance industry and international business in general are a huge net plus to the country. Without international business, the Bermuda economy (per capita GDP of USD $69,900 at PPP in 2004 by CIA estimates) would look a whole lot more like the Bahamas (GDP per capita of $20,200) than it would Luxembourg (GDP per capita of $55,600).

It also must be pointed out that with a population of only around 65,000, Bermuda simply doesn?t have the population to support the employment needs of the international business community. Businesses situated in Bermuda need the best people in the world, with the best educations, in order to compete against firms in New York, London and elsewhere.

In a best-case scenario, Bermuda can only be expected to provide a percentage of the people these businesses need. Expats are a necessity.

But what these arguments fail to do is to address the obvious resentment that is growing in the community towards expats and international business. The success of international business, while positive for Bermuda as a whole, has created difficulties for many Bermudians.

Both business and Government could take action to reduce these difficulties. For example, businesses could provide incentives to expat employees in order to keep rents down.

If employees were allowed to keep a percentage of any savings made by using less than their full rental allowance, it would be less easy for landlords to inflate rents.

Similarly, in such a wealthy country, there is no reason why the government shouldn?t be able to provide a world-class educational system. Bermudian public school graduates should have access to the world?s top universities.

It is easy to become complacent in a country that is doing so well. Both business and Government have a responsibility to make sure Bermuda not only remains a great place to live, but becomes even better. It is impossible to eliminate all resentment, but ignoring a growing problem is as ignorant as the resentment itself.

September 29, 2006

Dear Sir,

How is it that in other countries, when politicians and other people in high places i.e. CEO?s etc, are caught perpetrating some inappropriate act such as fraud; tax evasion; soliciting minors (same sex as the US Senator/Congressman Foley who just resigned, was accused of doing) for sexual purposes and all of the other goodies, resign, except here in Bermuda?

We have in our midst, members of the House, past and present, who have been deemed ?unethical, but not illegal?, but, here in Bermuda, business goes on as usual with these same people profiling and strutting their stuff as if they own the world.

What makes these people so different that they are not held accountable for their inappropriate ?unethical but not illegal behaviour??

It is because they are beyond reproach, beyond the law, and are untouchable ? or, is it because Bermuda really is another world? I was just wondering because these things really bug me!

September 27, 2006

Dear Sir,

How many civil servants does it take to save the world?

Fifteen, judging from last night?s news where that number were standing around outside, saying how they were going to come in by public transport on one day. Mind you, it would probably have taken a lot fewer if the weather hadn?t been so nice.

If you want to make a difference, make an effort. Come in to work by bus or ferry one day a week, every week, not just when the TV cameras are there. When you see how easy it is, maybe you?ll do it every day.

And don?t ask hundreds of people to try it all on the same day or you will overload the system and have to miss the first bus because it is full and stand up on the second, which will put you off trying it again.

Those in Planning could do it on a Monday; Works & Engineering on a Tuesday; etc.

And don?t rule out walking, cycling and car-pooling as other ways to reduce traffic.

Yours on the top deck.