It's no surprise

February 10, 2009

Dear Sir,

Why does it seem such a surprise to Rolfe Commissiong that people do not wish to join the PLP, regardless of rhetoric? Why would one want to join when the PLP seems incapable of keeping a timely set of books to deliver on a yearly basis to the Auditor General? When they ignore the basic protocol of placing building projects out to tender? When they continue to keep The People's Purse open and it never seems to shut? When building projects that are in progress constantly (dare I say automatically) go over budget? When bunch of party people seem to celebrate anything that comes to mind and yet see their lost brothers and sisters, some in abject poverty? Demonised by PLP rhetoric? Rubbish, Mr. Commissiong, your naivety' does not suit you. We do not join the PLP, because we do not wish to be guilty by association!

DIANA WILLIAMS

Pembroke

Pitifully stumbling

February 9, 2009

Dear Sir,

If I, as a member of Parliament, while discharging my duties to hold Government accountable for public expenditure and for full disclosure of funds spent, can be branded a "mindless marionette" of The Royal Gazette or the Mid-Ocean News, then the obvious question follows.

What would you call the Minister of Works and Engineering as he stands on the floor of the House and reads a statement that has been prepared by one of his henchmen, the contents of which were obviously not understood as evidenced by the Minister's delivery? Moronic comes to mind. When I was in school, we were taught that if someone reads someone else's work, it's called cheating. I have always been expected to form my own opinions and to articulate those opinions as effectively as I can.

The Minister should know that I do not need anyone's notes from which to speak. Can he attest to the same as he stumbled pitifully over someone else's crafted words? The Minister should also know that I have come to understand and appreciate the grammatical content of statements produced by his gentlemanly Permanent Secretary. That statement, I would guarantee, was not the work of the PS of Works and Engineering. Is that what we have come to expect from payment of public funds for consultant fees? We need to go back and get some change. I have always been told that he who knows not and knows not that he knows not is a fool – avoid him. I now fully know whom to avoid.

PATRICIA J. GORDON-PAMPLIN J.P., M.P.

What he'd like to know

February 6, 2009

Dear Sir,

Recently, in a letter to The Royal Gazette that was mainly about "where were all the white people?" and so forth and so on, the writer noted towards the end of the letter ("Let's talk about the proposed development at Warwick Long Bay.") that the toilet facility at Warwick Long Bay was so "piss poor" he wouldn't let his dog use it (if, that is, he had a dog). What I'd like to know is why he supports a project (Mr Belcario Thomas's beach bar restaurant), and I quote, "between the PLP government and a young black Bermudian entrepreneur", when his sacred PLP government can't even take the responsibility it has for maintaining a decent public toilet facility for him (or his dog, if he had one) to use there.

THE NAKED GWELLY

London, UK

Astounding situation

February 8, 2009

Dear Sir,

I have been reading with great interest the transcripts of the commission of inquiry taking place in our sister dependent territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The allegations of corruption, political patronage, self enrichment, dishonesty and unethical behaviour astound me. The people of TCI are at wits end. The granting of development rights of their precious land at a fraction of its true value has resulted in a shortfall in the government's coffers.

The Government now has cut back on programmes such as health, education and social services. It has been widely reported that Government has had difficulty in making payroll. They have also been threatened with litigation over non-payment of monies owed to Hospitals and Health institutions in the United States. Overseas Government Education scholarships are in jeopardy as the TCI government is not meeting their financial obligations. To add insult to injury, the government has raised taxes dramatically to try and make up the shortfall that they have created with their reckless, frivolous spending. All this, while the politicians continue to live lavish, "Jet Set" lifestyles paid for by the hard working taxpayers. (Sound familiar?) Had the previous Governor and Foreign Commonwealth Office listened to allegations put forward by the opposition party and ordered the Commission of Inquiry earlier, perhaps they could have prevented the dire situation that now exists. Will we, Bermuda, find ourselves in the same state as the Turks and Caicos, or will the powers that be act soon enough to save us all?

WORRIED

Smith's

P.s. The TCI Commission of Inquiry transcripts may be found at http://www.tci-inquiry.org/

Extravagances and pay-offs

February 10, 2009

Dear Sir,

When are the people of Bermuda going to wake up to what is happening here and at what point will they become outraged. How much of taxpayers' money will be squandered before the PLP supporters realise that their hard-earned money is being thrown away by the very people they put into power. Bermuda and Bermudians are about to face very difficult times – some people will lose their jobs; some will lose their homes, and yet this Government continues their out of control spending. To spend $250,000 on a statue, then over $3 million on bringing Beyonce and Alicia Keys to Bermuda is totally irresponsible in these times. Then we have the ongoing "wages" paid to both Julian Hall and Rolf Commjissiong, as well as the $400,000 "payment" to Andre Curtis. There are so many hardworking Bermudians struggling to make ends meet and yet taxpayers are footing the bill for these extravagances and pay-offs.

Now it appears they intend to hire a Press Officer for every single Government Ministry. Where is all this extra money coming from? Instead of hiring even more civil servants, they should be reducing the civil service. I am told that Bermuda has the largest (per capita) civil service in the world. What does our Finance Minister, Paula Cox, have to say about all of this extravagance? Is she unable to stop Dr. Brown from throwing away the taxpayers money? I believe she is an honourable person and yet she remains silent, so who pray authorises these payments. Our economy will surely shrink in 2009, so the Government must spend less or they will have no option but to borrow heavily – just to keep our heads above water. Also, the Bermuda dollar will be forced to devalue unless some curbs are put on the spending habits of this Government. Wake up Bermudians before it is too late. Only the people who put this Government in power can remove them.

CAMELOT

Smith's

No enhancement needed

February 6, 2009

Dear Sir,

Warwick Long Bay has survived quite well for 400 years without the so-called "enhancement and upgrading" of private entrepreneurs. Parks were created specifically to shield some areas of the Island from commercial development. Moves to expand private exploitation of public lands are shortsighted and counter-productive. Ironically, it is those residents least likely to own beachfront land who will benefit most from the preservation of open space on our beaches and parklands.

It is tempting to engage in tit-for-tat with your correspondent Leslie James Smith and ask: Where was he when "Stuart Hayward and company" were trying to preserve the Sports Arena and Admiralty House Park from development? We could ask: When we were fighting to preserve open space in the most densely populated parish on the Island, where was he? But I already know the answers. People engage in civic action on the issues that push their buttons. They are entitled to spend their civic energy in accordance with their civic conscience. We all choose our battles.

It may be easy for Mr. Smith to make assumptions about the motives of others; easy for him to mimic the race-baiting claptrap of leaders who should know better. But those he refers to who campaigned in the past – whether against oppression or against over-development – had courage and conviction. Those who campaign today – whether against oppression in the workforce, unethical conduct and abuses of power by government leaders, or illegal or unnecessary development – also have courage and conviction.

Our parents understood that we needed to work twice as hard to be twice as good as the next person. They'd be disappointed to find us using our hard-fought "freedom" to be twice as low, or twice as crooked, or twice as vindictive as those from whom we sought liberation. Finally, trying to win issue-oriented battles by digging at racial wounds may earn Brownie points for Mr. Smith and others like him, but it shows a depravity from which we can derive no pride. There is, in Bermuda a growing sense of environmental concern (and social concern, for that matter) throughout the community as evidenced by the growth in social and environmental movements. At this stage in Bermuda's development, we should applaud all efforts to preserve the health of Bermuda's physical and social environment, no matter whether these efforts are being made by blacks or whites or a combination of the two. Because it means people are caring and getting involved. And that's a good thing.

STUART HAYWARD

Pembroke

Settle up

February 6, 2009

Dear Sir,

Yesterday we received a letter sent by air mail from Canada postmarked December 19, 2008. What possible explanation can the Post Office offer for the length of time it took to deliver this letter? My local insurance company send me a half yearly statement each year. On enquiring why I had not received it I was told that it had been mailed to me on January 12, 2009. I have yet to receive it as of this date. Does the Post Office not consider that mail may be of considerable importance and that accounts need to be settled on time?

SNAIL MAIL

St. George's

Reveal other documents

February 9, 2009

Dear Sir,

With regard to the mysterious cheques which turned up in the audit of the police/court building: Perhaps the perpetrator was the same unknown person who sent that mysterious "bullet" to the premier during the election? My, my. But so good of them to show the cheques to the public. What a pity the poor victims of this outrage won't reveal to the public any other documents that we would like and deserve to see.

JANET WINGATE

Czech Republic

What kind of message?

February 6, 2009

Dear Sir,

It is obvious that our Government is looking for more tax revenue dollars, by doing this feasibility study at a cost of $300,000 on gaming. However, with a recession going on, what kind of message is this sending to the community, who are being asked to shop wisely and economise? Even if the local community is not allowed to use the gaming establishments, what tourist is going to spend hard earned dollars on gambling especially with all of the unemployment in the USA? With the current economic crisis, it does not look as if this will be fixed any time soon.

MONICA BERRY

Pembroke

Rise above the rhetoric

February 6, 2009

Dear Sir,

Like many others, I am very concerned by the insistence of some to cause division along racial lines over many of the issues the community must address. Despite repeated insinuations, I can testify that of the many volunteer hours I have spent with others in this country on issues related to development and sustainability, not one second has been spent scheming and conniving to keep black people from getting ahead in Bermuda … not even a fraction of a second! And yet there are those in this community who know the power they wield simply by putting those thoughts into the public domain.

Just because it appears that the make-up of the environmental groups is predominantly white does not mean that there aren't black people aligned with us who are very concerned about the environment and the way the public policies for planning and development are routinely circumvented or ignored. Some sort of historical loyalty or some uncertainty as to the price that may have to be paid may account for the desire to stay in the background. I'm not sure. To those who interfere with the constructive process for full and proper deliberation of a planning or development issue by dividing us along racial lines, be sure to look up every now and then as you bang that drum of divisiveness. I think that the vision and new standard of leadership ushered in by President Barack Obama just may open the eyes and ears of our citizens and they will soon rise above the rhetoric. The truth is that everyone is welcome to join together, as we work for the benefit of us all, to ensure that Bermuda is a viable homeland for generations to come.

KIM SMITH

Pembroke