LAST week I wrote about the spending habits of my people and how we tend to lay down lots of cash for depreciable items rather than investing it. Well, this week I’d like to talk about how society forces people to be materialistic, focusing on clothes, shoes, cars, trips, etc. I’d specifically like to highlight the so called “fashion police” (“fashion Nazis” is more like it) who attempt to regulate what people wear and when they should wear it. We’ll also delve into specifics of how expensive it is to live in Bermuda and how hard it is for the average working class person and family to get ahead in Bermuda.

More on all of this after we visit the Top 20.

Holding at number one it’s Nelly Furtado and Timbaland, with their hit new single Promiscuous<$>. Up to number two is Sexy Love <$>by Ne-Yo, one of the hottest new male vocalists. This one is on the radio a lot. This Ne-Yo cat is really smooth.

Now a former essential new banger. Way up to number three is Déj|0xe0| Vu from the reigning Queen and King of Hip Hop, Beyonce and her beau Jay-Z. Advancing to number four is Me & U by the new cutie Cassie.

Down to number five is Hips Don’t Lie<$> by Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean, a former essential new joint and one of the most popular songs in the world.

Now, some soca. Slipping to number six is Max It Up by Destra, which has loads of energy and is good for any party. Tumbling to number seven is Don’t Stop<$>, a soca anthem by Shurwayne Winchester. Another soca hit falls to number eight, Park It <$>by Explainer, which tells a funny story.

Slipping to number nine is Band of the Year by Machel Montano featuring Patrice Roberts. On the way up at number 10 is Sean Paul featuring Keyshia Cole, with (When You Gonna) Give It Up to Me <$>and up to number 11 is the new one from Janet (Jackson) & Nelly, entitled Call On Me<$>.

Falling to number 12 is Roll It <$>by Allison Hinds featuring Machelle Montano. Down to number 13 is Torn <$>by Letoya, the former member of Destiny’s Child. Down to number 14 but still very popular is It’s Going Down by Yung Joc. Up to number 15 is Shoulder Lean <$>by Young Dro featuring T.I. T.I. is apparently one of the hottest rappers in the business, as he is featured on several current hits.

Falling to number 16 is Wanna Love You Girl <$>by Robin Thicke featuring Pharrell from the Neptunes. Down to number 17 is Why You Wanna<$> by T.I.

Now some new tracks, starting with this week’s essential new tune. In at number 18 is Pulling Me Back <$>by Chingy featuring Tyrese. Also new at number 19 is S.E.X. by Lyfe Jennings. And joining the list in the number 20 slot is I Know You See It <$>by Young Joc featuring Brandy, Ms B Hambrick.

Now back to this week’s word - the fashion Police and difficulty the working class person is facing with the cost of living in Bermuda.

Not only is the Western world increasinglymaterialistic but self-appointed style arbiters now have the audacity to tell others what they should wear and when they should wear it. For instance, there is apparently a rule that you can’t or shouldn’t wear white after Labour Day.

PLEASE! You have to be kidding me! And people actually live by these rules. Well, I decided this week that just to mess with the fashion police, I would wear white linen pants on two days this week, and I did. Nobody came up to me to say, “Yo, you’re not supposed to be wearing white, Labour Day was yesterday!”

What I want to know is who made up these stupid, shallow, materialistic rules? We in the Western world are worried about not wearing white after Labour Day, while there is war in many parts of the world; starving and dying children in Africa and many other places; fear among many people of the world; women who are being denied the basic human rights in Afghanistan and other countries; and, for us in Bermuda, there are many people who are homeless, living out of cars, unable to feed their children breakfast before the kids go to school.

At this juncture I wish to share with you some words from the Bible, specifically the book of Luke, Chapter 12, verses 22-32.

Jesus said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you<\m>you of little faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

My Dad always tells me that, “Charity begins at home”. Even at 42, you can learn from your parents. Thank God I still have mine, and, Mom and Dad, I love you and I thank you. Before we look to help the different peoples of the world, we need to clean up our own back yard. The Bible even says that you should, ‘Take the plank out of your eye, before you take the splint out of your brother’s eye”.

The point I’m making here is that we need to address the homeless situation and rid our streets of vagrants who are a nuisance to both locals and visitors alike. I know that this continues to be a matter of great frustration for many bar and nightclub owners, as these people often loiter around bars and clubs, yet the Police appear powerless to do anything. There is no shame in the Police’s game; they arrest these fools, lock them up for a night or two, take them to court, then the judge releases them. What kind of garbage legal system is this that we have? Maybe I need to go into politics, run for office or something, but this is just astounding.

Another issue is that we have many people living in Bermuda who are on or just above the poverty line. We have to do something about this. The cost of living in this country is outrageous. I recently stumbled upon a book written by Dale Butler, Minister of Community Affairs & Sport, about the life of trade union pioneer Dr. Edgar Fitzgerald Gordon. It strikes me that many of the issues that workers were facing then are still issues today that have to be fully addressed. There is a fundamental problem with the economic model here; it is not designed so that the average Bermudian can afford the basic things that one requires to be happy and comfortable.

For instance, it is difficult to buy a house in Bermuda. I don’t know how young couples can do it without either family assistance or by one of them having a really great job that pays extremely well. Many young Bermudians are leaving this country because it is too expensive and there appears to be no effort to change the situation. Any economy has to be structured so that housing does not take up more than 40 percent of the average income of the person/family in question. Otherwise things are out of whack. Also, every Bermudian should be able to afford to buy a house.

For instance, let’s say a young couple makes $5000 per month between them. Nowadays, they can probably rent a one bedroom apartment for $2000, if they’re lucky. How ridiculous is that? They have to eat, so let’s say groceries cost them $600 per month. Electricity is about $200 per month. Gas for their car is probably $400 per month. Telephone is probably $100 per month.

If they have a kid, decent day care is about $1500 per month. So far, we have used up $4800 of this family’s $5000 each month. How can they save anything? How are they to every save up enough money to buy a house when everything they make is spent.

We have to understand that everybody cannot be an underwriter, an accountant, lawyer, doctor, or CEO.

We need people to do jobs at all levels and people at every level must be able to afford to live in the community, with an economic formula that works.

Maybe the solution is to increase wages, because a family where the husband drives the bus and the wife is a secretary cannot make it on their salaries alone. This is why people work two and three jobs. But this means they are neglecting their children.

They can’t win and thus they need us to help them to be able to afford to live here.

These are the very same issues that Dr. E.F. Gordon and the Bermuda Workers Association faced back in the day. Isn’t it strange that these are the same issue we face in 2006. This tells me that not much has changed.

People have it wrong.

They keep saying that Bermudians need to become better educated so that they can get better jobs.

That might help some Bermudians, but it still doesn’t address the masses or the problem of the economic model, which is flawed.

Also, the fact that our educational system is graduating sometimes illiterate and innumerate employees tells me that it too is fundamentally flawed.

We need to reopen a Technical Institute and produce a future generation of highly skilled, competent engineers, actuaries, physicists, plumbers, carpenters, masons, electricians, scientists and mathematicians.

And, we need to teach our young people that instead of getting a good education so that they can get a good job; they need to get a good education so that they can become business owners, investors, developers, entrepreneurs and create wealth and remove the dependence on “Front Street” for a job. This is what the old Bermuda Technical Institute produced and it is what we need today. I don’t care where we put it, but open one we must.

Back to the economy, we must stop the escalation of the cost of real estate.

The real estate agents say that you can’t do that because of the principle of supply and demand. Nonsense! “Can’t” is a word I don’t allow to be used in my company or in my household.

I’m sure we can control the spike in real estate prices: people just have to be willing to take bold steps.

Peace —