November 24, 2005Dear Sir,The main headline today “Bermuda is top spot to look for Mr. Wonderful”, is one of the most offensive articles I have read. This garbage which implies Bermudians are so incapable that these lawyers and accountants need to come here and keep their company’s accounts in order.

Workers get great packages to come here they just need someone to share it with. You wonder why there is such an economic divide why Bermudians feel the way they do towards expats why there is a housing crisis. The companies who offer these packages to expats and expats only are responsible for the current real estate/housing issues we are living in today. This is not good press as you are implying this is horrific this is the very reason for the social and economic divide every Bermudian is undergoing this present day.

How does a Bermudian compete when half, if not all of his/her salary is expended on rent or mortgage when the expat pockets his/her entire salary and their company pays for the rent. More houses are not needed, the population has not grown in the last 30 years. The houses are there, we just cannot afford them. The solution is not affordable houses. The solution is to get the corporate money out of the market. Neither party wants to talk about his, let alone BIBA. They all lack character and honesty on this matter, too scared to ruffle the corporate feathers.

Every Bermudian needs to get in their MP’s and opposing counterpart’s ear and let them know that they want corporate money out of the market.

We want a level playing field. We want an opportunity to succeed not a hand out destined for failure. Wake up my fellow Bermudians, it is almost too late!

PROMETHEUS

Southampton<$>

November 24, 2005Dear Sir,Why are we, Bermudians all of us, fighting each other over independence, racial and economic disparity when the source of our misdirected angst can largely be traced back to one common source. We are not dependent on Britain. We are entirely dependent on International Business.

We are not so much racially and economically disadvantaged by each other as we are culturally and economically disadvantaged by the hiring and compensation practices of International Business.

Case in point, your cover story today said it all, “Mr. Wonderful” is one of the “...hundreds of male lawyers and accountants who have been shipped to Bermuda—” who are “—very affluent—” because they “—get great packages when they come out here”.

Sadly the story is not about their Bermudian colleagues, performing the same jobs but not at all desirable because they are not very affluent, because they do not get great packages to entice them from frozen, landlocked cities to work in this interminable hell of pink sand and par 4 golf courses. That great package is justified for Mr. Wonderful because some bright spark recognised that it’s extremely expensive to live here. Housing, vehicles and air travel are all financially crippling; so most if not all of these are provided in his inflated compensation package. How wonderful for him.

By some Economic Miracle these things are apparently less expensive for his Bermudian colleagues, magically immune to the high cost of living by virtue of citizenship. Perhaps Mr. Wonderful has his expenses covered to salve the pain of having to eventually go home and become Mr. Mediocre-but-wealthy-now while his undesirable Bermudian colleague gets to stay and pay his own way for his damned good fortune.

We are fighting each other because we do not feel we are getting a fair shake in our own country. We aren’t, but we aren’t the root of the problem. Britain is not the problem. Race is not the problem. Bermudians of all races and walks of life are being bid out of the market because the new economic power in Bermuda is not Bermudian, it’s foreign and it’s looking after it’s own.

The flood of “Free Money” washing through our economy only bids up the price to all of us to house, clothe, feed and educate ourselves and our children. We as private citizens are competing for housing and paying for goods at prices set by that glut of free, uninhibited, corporate money.

That most Bermudians don’t have access to this free money marginalises us, angers us and makes us do stupid things, like turn on each other.

SECOND CLASS CITIZEN

Hamilton Parish