Dollars and sense

March 2, 2004

Dear Sir,

I was just reading the article in today's paper entitled 'Food survey sounds hunger alarm'. I was particularly struck by the part in which the reporter quoted Ms Vaucrosson as saying: "Government can't do it all, the Salvation Army can't do it all." The latter has done a tremendous amount over the years to help those less fortunate, however her mention of the former makes me wonder. I wonder how many hungry people you could feed and or house for the total cost of all those oversized cars, a few cases of champagne and all those luxury trips they keep taking?

Perhaps we could throw in some of the wasted money from the Berkeley project.

Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

STILL WONDERING

Pembroke

Lions say thank you

February 27, 2004

Dear Sir,

The Hamilton Lions Club recently held its charity golf tournament on November 19, 2003, at the Riddell's Bay Golf Club. It was the seventh annual Ralph Ferguson Memorial Golf Tournament and all profits from the fees and other donations, totalling $7,250, are being presented to the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Organisation and the Bermuda Junior Golf Association.

The event was a very successful and enjoyable day for all concerned, mainly due to the generous donations and/or prizes from the following companies and groups: Aon Group (Bermuda) Ltd; Bermuda Computer Services Ltd; Igility Group; Transact.bm; Somers Construction; Bermuda Telephone Company; Bank of Bermuda; Elbow Beach Resort; John Barritt & Son Ltd; Gosling Brothers Ltd; XL Capital; The Montgomery/Ferguson Family; Mr. Sandy Mitchell; Deloitte & Touche; Meyer/Franklin Travel; The Upstairs Golf & Tennis Shop; British American Insurance; The MarketPlace; Red Carpet Restaurant; Phones Plus; Arthur Morris Christensen & Co.; Lobster Pot Restaurant; Bank of N.T. Butterfield; Colonial Insurance; Logic Communications; Ernst & Young; M.R. Onions Restaurant; AT& T Wireless; Staples; The CCS Group; Russell J. Eddy & Associates; plus all the players, volunteers, and staff of Riddell's Bay. We are extremely grateful to them all for their support of this very worthy endeavour, and we look forward to next year's tournament.

E.B. MACLEAN

Hamilton Lions Club

Well done, Mr. Butterfield

March 3, 2003

Dear Sir,

Please find room in your column to allow me to express my feelings to your readers.

The tone of this letter is my way of expressing both joy and sadness.

Imagine for a moment this. If I said to you five years ago that I predict that by the year 2004 the Bank of Bermuda will have a black Bermudian as its chief operating officer, you would have probably thought, yeah, right.

Well I don't have to tell you the rest.

I would like to publicly say to Philip Butterfield: Congratulations.You have done your country proud.

Like Phil, I don't put too much emphasis on my complexion but there are times when we must find positive ways to say out loud, I am black and I am proud.

With all the discussions and dialogue going on about racism and the glass ceiling and the old boys network, Mr. Butterfield's achievement is but one example of how things are changing for the better.

Well done, Phil, you make me feel proud to be a Bermudian.

What saddens me though, Mr. Editor, is the fact that no one has taken the time to write congratulations via your column.

I know Mr. Butterfield is a humble and private man and he does not seek fame and notoriety but I ask myself where are the letters from Eva Hodgson and Raymond Russell offering their congratulations via your paper?

Let me be the first to apologise if I am wrong.

Well done, Phil, I wish you all the best.

RAMADHIN (RAMMY) SMITH

Pembroke

'Petty nonsense'

March 4, 2004

Dear Sir,

While the rest of the world is trying very hard to give up national sovereignty and join powerful trade cartels, our leaders are trying to tell us that we should move towards national sovereignty and out of the richest trade area in the world.

We live in the one of the most privileged situations it is possible to have. We can work anywhere in Europe but they can't work here unless we want them. We make up our own tax laws but we don't have to defend ourselves or pay for foreign representation.

We live next door to the most powerful, reactive forces in history, the US, and we are from time to time allowed to thumb our nose at it.

But we are going to give all that up. Because it just wrong to go on that way. Or whatever our Premier assures, we "naysayers" simply do not understand and will have to be taught. And he promises to explain it. All the "yeah-sayers" say they will. But they never seem to get around to it.

One begins to feel that there is no reason. But there must be a reason right? It's very weird and like weird things, its distracting. A good thing too because without distraction we would have to deal with real problems. Like education. Let's talk international relations and something that matters. India Tech is now considered the most sought after science degree in the world.

India produces a million more engineers a year than the US. The developing world has figured out that it's not oil in the sand or Burger Kings on the corner that matter: it's brains and they are getting them.

Our noble leader waxes poetic about how stupid "naysayers' are and how it doesn't matter 'cause he is duh law. Those East Asians are learning about banking and insurance... Bermuda ? they are a lot hungrier than you are. (I don't care how much you think England "oppresses" you.) They are more oppressed ? by ignorance. But they are learning.

There is a girl in growing up poor in Singapore who is going to get a fine economics degree from her government. They don't have Point Finger Road over there so they spend education money on education. She and millions like her will happily do what you think you should be paid enormous amounts to do. They will do it cheaper, faster and better. Because their Government got them educated. And they won't do it here and eat in our expensive restaurants and pay our rents and pay our service sector. They will set up their own companies far from here and do all our jobs remotely. And all those job-stealing expats with their funny accents and big wallets will gladly go live in... well, they will go anywhere the jobs go. Because jobs aren't about place any more. People of any country don't have any rights to any jobs anymore unless they have an education. Nationality just isn't as important any more.

So why is it an issue? How curious that our noble leader doesn't waste his fervent poetry on education. Nobody ever talks about education with anything like the mission they waste on Independence, not talking to people who aren't like me and getting confused and mucking up capital projects and getting out of the way of blame and blaming the accountant and calling him a racist and her an Uncle Tom and so on in the endless train of petty nonsense Government uses to waste time and not do what it's supposed to. Just like the UBP did by the way. PLP! Its six years now! Get it together!

JOHN ZUILL

Pembroke

Afraid of a referendum?

March 9, 2004

Dear Sir,

If the PLP really believe in "one man, one vote of equal value" why are they so scared of a referendum on Independence?

Could it be that they prefer the current electoral system where one vote is not of equal value, as evidenced by the disproportionate number of seats they gained to their popular vote?

A referendum is the only method to achieve a true result, anything else is invalid.

ONE VOTE

Warwick

Let past pains go

February 24, 2004

Dear Sir,

There comes a time in one's life when you need to look within yourself. The detail inventory of yourself invariably leads to you making positive changes in order to move forward and live a healthy productive life.

I have tried many times to change my negative behaviour but I did not lack the determination and the need to change but there was something holding me back. Through many hours of soul searching I came to the realisation that I was unforgiving, and this flaw in my character prevented me from moving on and developing my full potential.

I was preoccupied by pains of my past. The things that I had done and the things that were done to me filled me with spite and self-pity. I realise that forgiveness is a key ingredient in moving on with ones life. Holding on to past pains are counterproductive, tiresome and weighty. Lack of forgiveness has a negative impact on the mind and the soul. You can't expect to move forward if emotional baggage is holding you back. Moreover, people you despite often live productive lives.

I have come to the firm conclusion that it is wiser to let past pains go and to move forward with fresh energised minds and souls. When you truly learn to forgive, you will discover peace and life will become a lot more satisfying.

ROBYN SWAN

Paget

Get fundamentals right

March 2, 2004

Dear Sir,

It is becoming clearer that our current Government is costing us dearly, mistakes here, and cover-ups there.

Mrs. Gordon Pamplin is right on, something smells wrong. Great ideas mean nothing if you don't have or know the fundamentals to get it done. Learning these fundamentals should not be on the people's time. Young talent should be groomed and moulded not thrown into the fire.

It truly stands out that the best Ministers are the ones that run their own business or hold senior positions in organisations; people like Ewart Brown, Renee Webb, and Dale Butler, even Lt. Col. David Burch. There is plenty of experience on that backbench, what's going on?

However, there are some who should stay on the back bench or rather get off the bench entirely. Mr. Burgess, you seem to feel $20 million or 30 percent more of the original contract is a drop in the bucket and something the Opposition should not blow out of proportion. It's our taxes, we pay the bill. I say to you it has blown its own proportions.

How many low-cost homes could have been built for $20 million? Wait, your party's current housing proposal suggest 53 apartments at a $12 million price tag; that could have been doubled.

Equally importantly, how many students could have received loans or scholarships for tertiary education rather than bricks and mortar? Neither $20 million nor 30 percent is acceptable. Tell your CEO you blew your division's budget by 30 percent and see how long you continue to head the division.

'Independence' will become 'More Dependence' under this current government. Get the fundamentals right first.

I. M. A. TAXPAYER

Southampton