Hold off this legislation

September 29, 2007

Dear Sir:

The recently contracted study into black males will hopefully tell us why there is not a proportional representation of all demographic groups in our workforce. However, the proposed Workforce Equity Act implicitly assumes that the cause is, at least in part, a conscious effort on the part of our larger companies to exclude black males as candidates in their hiring and promotion activities. Having worked in two large exempt companies in Bermuda over the last 25 years, I can look at my experiences from both sides of the managerial divide and say honestly that never was a candidate's race, or gender, considered as a criteria for hiring or promotion.

Some people would say that this indifference alone is cause enough to implement The Act, since it indirectly favours the white person because of other factors effecting the selection process, such as education and cultural modes of behavior. This then begs the question of exactly what The Act is mandating.

If The Act is saying that companies must give preference to black male candidates, thereby overriding these other factors, then those hires are coming into a situation where managers will never have the confidence in the hire needed to allow them to succeed. Further, companies will lose confidence in their local workforce, and we will see even more applications for non-Bermudians or with our exempt companies, more work being moved off Island. Both of these effects will actually lead to a decline of the successful black male.

Giving preference also introduces the concept that the companies are required to discriminate against the white candidates, either by discounting their abilities, or even by not considering their applications at all. In effect, companies would be obliged to implement policies that amount to institutionalised racism. Surely this would violate our Constitution.

If The Act is saying that it is not preference that must be given, but an equal opportunity, then that is a horse of a different colour. This would mean that a white candidate and a black candidate would be allowed to compete equally for the position, with the decisions being "colour-blind". But this then leads us back to the situation I describe as my past experience, where I believe we are now.

So, either The Act violates our Constitution, or it does not change anything. Either outcome of The Act is unacceptable.

I would suggest that rather than introduce such legislation at an already sensitive time in Bermuda's social and financial environments, that we wait for the results from The New Study and target the causes identified in a more rational manner.

Let us not forget that it will be unreasonable to expect our large companies to employ locally according to local demographic proportions. This is purely due to the fact that, in today's world, businesses must be allowed to draw their resources from a global pool, which has a different demographic than Bermuda. This is true of both exempted and non-exempted companies if they are to remain competitive. As an example look at the number of (non-white)Indian and Filipino workers in the local hospitality industry, and the number of (white) British, American and Canadian workers in exempt companies. There is no nefarious racial collusion in this situation, it is just economics.

This is probably a difficult concept for many to grasp. If we ignore it then we will alienate our companies and their non-Bermudian workers by making it harder for them to operate. This will ultimately reduce Bermuda's ability to compete on the world stage, and will certainly hinder the advancement of our population, black and white.

PETER CARD

City of Hamilton

Test politicians for drugs

September 27, 2007

Dear Sir,

I read a good article last week in reference to drug testing in the work place. I feel it is about time this was done, but it would be better if all this started from the top. I thing with the advent of an election coming on the Government and the Opposition should all lead by example.

All Members of Parliament who wish to be put forward for election should have an independent drug test to prove they are clear of all drugs and a fit person to run our country. All the results should be put in all Newspapers for every one to read to prove our Government whoever they are PLP or UBP. are clear to run the Country.

A CONCERNED VOTER

City of Hamilton

PLP's roulette game

September 26, 2007

Dear Sir,

Everyone knows that the PLP Government have completely ignored the wishes of the majority of Bermudian voters who, two years ago, demanded a Referendum on the issue of Independence.

The article in your valued newspaper of September 26, page 19, headed "International business unhappy with Dr Brown's Bermuda ¿ UK publication" quoted the respected Reinsurance Magazine (www.reinsurancemagazine.com) thus:

"The pro-independence and anti-expat rhetoric is scary, the work-permit situation chaotic and the power of instant deportation over any non-Bermudian (including troublesome journalists) is genuinely frightening" and "as long as Bermuda isn't independent, the ultimate checks and balances still reside elsewhere" and "off the record, the international reinsurance community based in Bermuda is not at all happy with the current state of affairs, but knows that if the chips were really down it could pull up sticks and relocate to alternative domiciles only too willing to accommodate. It would be hard, painful work, but if pushed a multiple dash for the exit would ultimately be a brutal exercise in real policies for Dr. Brown".

The fall-out won't just be a shock-awakening for Dr. Brown: it will result in extreme hardship for all Bermudians. The International businesses are not going to warn Dr Brown when they decide to relocate. They'll just get fed up and leave in the twinkling of an eye. Once lost, Bermuda will be hard pressed to bring them back.

Dr Brown and his Government are playing "real" roulette with Bermuda's future generations. At the same time, Dr Brown continues to shout that he wants to push "Independence" down our throats (refer his speech last week in Washington DC) and to cut Bermuda's ties with the UK, Europe and everyone else, but he refuses to accommodate the people of Bermuda who want to decide for themselves by voting in a Referendum.

MICHAEL G. MARSH

Smith's

A legacy of racism

September 29, 2007

Dear Sir,

As a result of past racism, the only form of investment which some hardworking blacks knew about was the building of an extra apartment for rental purposes.

We live in a capitalistic society. That means that supply and demand determines the cost of goods without Government intervention. As a matter of fact rents are one of the few areas in which Government has intervened with the Rent Control Act. Landlords of lower rental units are primarily hard working, self disciplined, self-sacrificing blacks attempting to get a "piece of the pie". They, like taxi drivers, most of whom are black, have their income determined by Government control.

If this Government is really concerned about rent gouging it can always increase the supply of rental units by building more and so bring down rents. If black landlords were the only greedy people in this capitalistic society our problems would be few indeed.

I can only assume that the Colonel's recent tirade against landlords is an attempt to prove that the PLP is not "a black party" and can do without the votes of all kinds of blacks now that they have whites turning up to their events. Blacks on the margins have already been dismissed as creating a welfare state. If the talk show and other street talk is anything to go by, another deep divide has been created within the black community over Bermuda Day. With all due respect to those who say otherwise, blacks did not care about Victoria Day and all that Empire Day meant was a white person turning up to black segregated schools to talk about Britain's Empire (and later Commonwealth). We all know that, apart from having a holiday, Blacks were not expressing any concern about the name. In fact, Bermuda Day was introduced so that blacks would care about the Day ¿ and it was one of the few things that became successful.

These gratuitous attacks on various segments of the black community by this administration may reflect a sense of security that the hatred for the Opposition Leader is such that blacks will vote for "not a black party" regardless of what the administration may do.

There has always been a personal element in black politics, thus, despite the one man one vote, the Employment Act, the introduction of the Ombudsman. the Big Conversations, the black empowerment efforts and whatever else, some of these attacks feel very personal.

Eva N. Hodgson

Hamilton Parish

TV service is an insult

September 30, 2007

Dear Sir,

Thank you for allowing me space in your paper to express my frustration with "our" Bermuda Broadcasting Company. What a sorry excuse for a TV station!

I am sitting here awaiting the advertised and listed Nascar Race, and all I can watch is a second-rate duplicate of the BBC broadcast that is showing on at least one other channel.

I imagine other people may be frustrated too. Perhaps that's why you cannot speak to anyone down at the station if you try to call. I think they designed their voicemail system to further frustrate their viewers. No matter what you press you cannot locate a human or even a voicemail. Don't try seeking help online, their website is down!

This service is an insult to customers who are limited in their choice. It makes me want to go through my old wardrobe and bring out my bell-bottoms as this is a sad reminder of the quality of service that we used to get in Bermuda back in the 1970s.

For at least three hours, the programming that was scheduled was replaced with BBC, a rugby game (starting ten minutes into the game), and then more BBC. The ZFB logo would come up occasionally and freeze on the screen for minutes at a time.

Then, like magic, the scheduled Nascar race was suddenly introduced half way into the race. What programming!

If this pathetic service is the best that Bermuda can do, then this a sorry state in which we find ourselves in 2007.

If BBC cannot provide true ABC station, then they should allow CableVision to provide us with a real ABC channel that works. But, then again, since it's raining over 20 channels on CableVision don't work either.

As customers paying for a service, we deserve better.

FRANK MACHADO

City of Hamilton

Sense of community lost

September 22, 2007

Dear Sir,

In response to the article

"Dunkley: PLP is failing us on Crime", here is my view of the situation as someone who lives in a "troubled "area. I remember when Police were patrolling the streets last summer; as soon as the Police would turn the corner dealers were making a quick sale. Funnily enough, whenever the police patrolled it was day time, I never saw them in my area after 9-10 p.m. when most of the action starts.

A word of advice to Mr. Dunkley and others who believe that police are the answer to crime ¿ You can have a 200 percent increase of Police on the streets, Police can have the best crime fighting equipment available to them: People will still find ways around them, it will just produce smarter criminals!

True reduction in crime starts with community action and positive home values. In my opinion the sense of community is lost and positive home values have deteriorated in Bermuda, hence a rise in crime. More police is like putting a Band-Aid over a bullet wound.

In regards to his comment that "people feeling that the law can't protect them", that has more to do with the judicial system and not the Police, in my opinion. People who call the Police on criminal activity, usually their fear would be that the criminal will be out in a short amount of time or the criminal's associates may seek revenge. You forget that Bermuda is only 21 square miles, so people are always bumping into people even if you try to avoid it. Secondly, most crimes in Bermuda whether it be robbery or violence are done by repeat offenders. For example, if 15 burglaries occur in one week, chances are there are probably only three culprits behind those burglaries and the same apples to violence. If the courts would hand out more appropriate sentencing, or if there was a programme for repeat offenders that yielded positive results, I guarantee crime will decrease in Bermuda.

Perhaps if Mr. Dunkley and others who believe that more policing is the answer to crime would talk to young positive people who live in high crime areas perhaps they would have a better understanding of the complex dynamics of the crime issue in Bermuda. It's easier to point fingers instead of looking internally for solutions. Mr. Dunkley should have put more emphasis of community in his speech, but I guess its much easier to blame Government and score political brownie points. In my opinion the crime issue in Bermuda cannot be fully solved by Police nor politics, it starts with us in the communities and in the home.

Mr. Dunkley, you may think the PLP is failing us on crime, I feel that the Bermudian community has failed us. Whatever happened to the sense of comradeship and support our communities once held for each other? Nowadays everyone is for themselves and as long as crime does not directly affect them or their immediate family most don't care.

S. BROWN

City of Hamilton

Where was our Premier?

September 25, 2007

Dear Sir,

This is in response to Mr. Rendol James' letter printed on September 25.

Sir, it seems as if some people do not wish to understand how businesses work, particularly here in Bermuda.

As big as we would like to think we are, we are small, very small when it comes down to doing business with companies in the USA. A single store in some cities purchase two or three times or more what a local importer will buy.

When you set up appointments to meet with suppliers, seldom do you set one trip to see one supplier. In most cases three or four suppliers are not able, at a moment's notice, to rearrange their appointments to suit a little company from Bermuda. So part of doing business in Bermuda is that you must keep appointments when made overseas in order to stay in business and keep Bermudians employed.

The funeral for Dame Lois clashed with a trip previously arranged, and I am sure that Mr. Dunkley would have changed his plans if he was able to, bearing in mind the political criticism he would face by not being at the funeral

For the record the Labour Day Holiday and Parade is known years in advance, where was the Premier? Doesn't he think the workers in Bermuda are important enough for their presence on Labour Day?

Bear in mind that the Government and lots of businesses close for Labour Day in the USA, so he could not have been off the Island on official business.

COEUR DE LION

Warwick

A defection to wonder at

September 27, 2007

Dear Sir,

Well well well! As my grandmother would say, "Wonders never cease!"

And the "wonder" as stated in The Royal Gazette today, is that Edgar Wilkinson has defected to the PLP!

The PLP have at times stated they have an open door policy and welcome whites.

Well, my dear children, I can see it now! What if 400 whites DO come forth and join the PLP, you and I both know darn well the first thing the PLP would say is: "Hold on there Bro, these white people are trying to take over again!

By the way, my grandmother also used to say, "Birds of a feather flock together!"

PAT FERGUSON

Warwick