Violating due process

January 10, 2009

Dear Sir,

There is little doubt to my thinking that the political granting of a restaurant license on National Park land contravenes proper process and existing law, and should outrage right-thinking Bermudians. How do I come to this judgement?

1. Bermuda is one of the densest free standing countries in the world with 65,000 people, who lead the world in urban materialism and consumerism, impacting on 12,500 developable acres. We need some places of peace. Roughly 600 acres five percent are in the Park System (and another five percent in golf courses).

2. Therefore, Bermuda critically requires world class land management and ongoing structures.

3. The Bermuda Development Plan is just that — a development plan, and only fair at that. Sketchy outcomes are compounded by Ministerial discretion etc. that often make a mockery of the process, undermines integrity and trust, and strains credibility with the public, particularly where dollars are involved.

Politicians once spoke of using Astwood Cove Park as collateral for Government borrowing overseas or as for a low cost housing project on the north side of South Shore Road.

4. The National Parks legislation was created in order to provide a Conservation Plan to balance the Development Plan. Sound, solid conservation to balance hyper development activity.

5. The National Park structure including the Commission has not fulfilled the scope of its responsibilities and has remained immature. While it has produced individual park plans including Warwick Long Bay, it has not proactively and systematically identified new land acquisitions for future generations and budgeted for them since its inception.

6. The South Shore of Bermuda, particularly from John Smith's Bay east and Hungary Bay west, is one of the most attractive coastlines in the Atlantic Ocean. It is only attractive because it remained in the hands of the Crown and not politicians. Imagine seven Carlton (Sonesta) Beaches on the foreshore?

7. When I was on the National Parks Commission, the overarching strategic park plan was to gear up some beaches to attract visitors ("bay") with amenities, e.g. John Smith's Bay and Horseshoe Bay, and leave other beaches as pristine and natural as possible to be "discovered".

8. The Park Plan for Warwick Long Bay was to keep its natural state.

In summary, I submit that the decision to grant a restaurant on Warwick Long Bay is, a) not for the politicians to make, at least not without the due process of changing the National Parks legislation, and b) will be determined by the approved individual Park Plan for Warwick Long Bay. The plan should therefore be made public.

I also submit that it is high time for the National Park Structure to fulfil its short and long term mission and integrate with the Development Plan. It is sorely needed, e.g. consider the alarming ideas to build the hospital on the Botanical Gardens and the Jumeirah Project at Southlands and South Shore Road underground. Let's honour due process.

MALCOLM KIRKLAND

Warwick

How did we get in this mess?

January 23, 2009

Dear Sir,

When The Supreme Court ruled as it did, I thought that would be the end of the CV (Cable Vision) vs. BBC (Bermuda Broadcasting Corp.) saga; because that's all it is. I also read the report in The Royal Gazette (January 22) and was most surprised at the present state of affairs; BBC still wants a fee, and in today's issue, they're going to appeal. Good grief. Depending on one's position, (working for either party) I suppose both points of view can be considered valid, but there's one aspect I don't think BBC factored into its decision to charge CV a fee. Notwithstanding there are many people who (still) use "rabbit ears" for their TV reception, there are many of us (myself included) for whom that form of reception is all but impossible.

On Westside Road, or any other location behind a series of hills (from the transmitting tower), CV was just what the doctor ordered. Before, my antenna had to be 30 feet off the ground just to get snow; a booster gave me a viable picture though, but high winds always wreaked havoc with the installation. CV was very welcome and I have no regrets, BBC coverage or not.

Given that CV has such a (comparatively) huge customer base, (with) BBC's signal being broadcast to all of us for whom rabbit's ears don't work, in reality BBC comes out ahead. However the very hint of additional revenue has sent the BBC (I suspect at the behest of their legal eagles) off on this wild goose chase that will only cost them dearly in the end. Morality has nothing to do with any of this; neither has democracy, it's just the money. CV has many of the Network programs in place already and to eliminate the duplication of programming is good news to me.

Also, I suspect that the actual amount of the requested fee has a lot to do with it and too, and CV's CEO probably balked on moral grounds alone. I surely would have. (The Supreme Court was right) It has not been disclosed how much WOW or VSB is paying (BBC), but then again, I can't get WOW here (where I live) either.

If BBC had thought of, and decided to implement its own cable TV network, none of this would have happened; and since the recession is just getting started, just wait until it really gets going. I (have) just opened my own door and used the 'R' word; sorry about that. In the book 'The Great Depression of 1990', there is a very simple and totally believable explanation of the recession phenomenon; to paraphrase: "When 75 percent of the money is in the hands (read pockets) of five percent of the population, recession ensues".

As with everything in the universe, this phenomenon is cyclical – in this case sixty years long (1929/1989-ring a bell?). The very principle of 'growth' is predicated on profit which means that this unfortunate state of affairs will ultimately rear its ugly head sooner or later. Add to that the rampant skulduggery of those at the very top of the economic food chain, and also that of the nouveau riche' wanna-bees, the rest of us at the bottom stand no chance at all. Thankfully, the laws of natural economics will not let this get too far out of hand – ask Marie Antoinette.

I laugh when I hear of "consumer confidence". Consumers don't need confidence, they need money! Underpaying and overcharging them for the sake of the share holders must ultimately have a seriously negative effect on the economy. It's analogous to building a penthouse with bricks from the first floor. With all of our MBA's etc, how did we get in this mess? (or maybe that is the problem) It's the 'G' word.

C.K. SIMONS

Sandys

Do the Obama dance

January 26, 2009

Dear Sir,

I was just made aware of a letter that appeared in The Royal Gazette on January 17, 2009, written by Andrew Manis relating to America's obsession with skin colour and President Barack Obama. In his letter, Mr. Manis is straightforward and points out one of the sicknesses that still plagues America; the sickness of racism If any of your readers did not get a chance to read this letter, I advise them to do so. It might give some people a completely different outlook on the matter.

Mr. Manis states white people have been impatient with African Americans who continue to blame race for their difficulties and often heard are whites asking when are African Americans going to "get over it"! Now he is asking when are white Americans going to get over their ridiculous obsession with skin colour. My personal view is unfortunately, in too many cases, this problem with skin colour is on both sides and until people come together it will always be so.

He goes on to write about the assassination of John and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, and now to America's eternal shame, they are once again hearing the same reprehensible talk of people wanting to assassinate Barack Obama.

Another sad point he makes is how long until white people stop insisting that blacks exercise personal responsibility, build strong families, educate themselves enough to edit the Harvard Law Review – work hard enough to become President of the United States, only to threaten to assassinate them when they do?

Mr. Editor, the above is a very sad and sick scenario, but it is the truth and covers many prejudices. Take the Muslim situation for instance – there are some people who are so obsessively demented over Muslims, they are ready to lump all Muslims, fanatics and non-fanatics alike, into one category, and if possible, would annihilate each and every one of them in the drop of a hat and feel justified in doing so. These same people who consider themselves intellectual and civilized, would assassinate President Barack Obama because to them, he is an insult to their so-called "superior intelligence". In their eyes, Barack Obama should never be! How dare he, this son of a black African man and a white American woman? Oh woe is me … what is this world coming to?

It is very obvious that we still have people among us who believe they are the only ones who should have privilege. They feel they alone are entitled to lead rule and own – but these people are sadly mistaken because the day has come when the unfortunate individuals who have been trodden on all of their lives are now standing up. They now have the opportunity to inherit what is rightfully theirs – their space and place on this earth.

So to the fanatics out there who hate, meaning all of you haters of all Muslims, of all blacks, of all whites, of all those who are different from anything that does not look like you … as Andrew Manis said in his letter, "Get Over It" because a new day has dawned and you are in the minority! Love, forgiveness and tolerance will overcome the hate.

What this greedy, corrupt, miserable, divisive world needs are more people like Barack Obama who did what many thought was the impossible – he united people, he brought millions people of every race, creed, religion and colour together like never before in the history of this world, and God bless him, he did it without once using the race card.

In 1998 the PLP had the chance to unite this island, but they dropped the ball – they were too busy looking back at the ills that were perpetrated in the past and playing the race card to see what could be ahead – just think how far ahead we would have been if they hadn't. And, if the UBP way back when hadn't dropped the ball … we would have been even further ahead and the world could have taken a page out of our book!

This world needs more people like Andrew Manis to write the truth and more people who are willing to unite us rather than divide us for their own selfish wants. Come on Bermuda! Let's get with it – let's do the Obama dance and unite! What's that song called? "United we stand, divided we fall?"

PAT FERGUSON

Warwick

What is more important?

January 25, 2009

Dear Sir,

I met two tourists the other day who were unhappy because they had twice visited Camden in the Botanical Gardens during advertised opening hours only to find the house shut, and they were not the only ones waiting in vain. I know some may feel this is a very unimportant tourist attraction, but it is typical of the trend of what is happening to our few tourist resources.

Was it really necessary to tear down the golf club in St. George's and do away with that charming little restaurant on the golf course? This couple wanted to play golf and I had no idea where to send them. With Port Royal closed for months to come and the popular golf club in St. George's now unavailable, where can people play? I may be wrong, but aren't all the other golf courses private clubs? I was shocked to hear that the small golf course at Horizons is also in danger of closing, how sad that will be, especially for the people who will be buying the units. It seems that St. George's is going to have a tough season what with the loss of their golf course and the closing of the popular beach bar on St. Catherine's beach. Whose crazy idea was this?

As for the Park Hyatt hotel plan, we had better take the Hyatt out of the name and settle for a park, as the developer has admitted that the funding is not yet in place for this multi-million dollar project, and in my opinion the chance of it materialising in the next ten years is slightly less than remote. One wonders how our Premier can cope with three full time jobs, especially as he spends a great deal of time abroad. Surely it is more important to take care of the infrastructure here at home than to visit far flung places on the pretext of promoting tourism. How are we going to entertain all those hordes of Chinese and Italians that will be knocking on our door? Perhaps he feels that he does not have MPs in his party capable of taking on the responsibility of Tourism and Transport; a sad state of affairs for Bermuda.

E. RABEN

Paget

Editor's note: One other government golf course, Ocean View, is still open.

No separation of Church, state

January 17, 2009

Dear Sir,

In your RG Magazine of December/January, Matthew Taylor asks, in the article on Church and State, if religion is coming to dominate Government and Renee Webb says that the Church invasion into the secular world is apparent and she is worried by the clear merging of religion and politics. Neither Mr. Taylor nor Ms Webb seem to be aware that as a British colony, a close relationship between the Church and State is as much a part of our history, tradition and practice as is the Westminster political system, with which our politicians are so enamoured and to which they are so completely bonded. In fact an article in the RG (December 30) clearly details the manner in which the State determines much that happens in the Church and the Church shares with the State the Education of the young. Whether one approves or disapproves, we are not yet an American colony or State, as much as some may wish we were, with its history and tradition (and legal) separation of the Church and State.

EVA N. HODGSON

Hamilton Parish

Let's do it ourselves

January 27, 2009

Dear Sir,

I have been reading various articles and letters in your newspaper about the state of Bermuda's roads and the emphasis on Dr. Froncioni. It is as usual the same old speeding and drinking/driving. Minister David Burch was interviewed about it on ZBM and said it was a Police matter and it was not his job to control police procedures. There have also been various reports about the number of incidents involving vehicles and the number of people who failed a breathalyser test, e.g. 13 incidents and two impaired drinking a particular period. Having reviewed all that, I would like to suggest a different approach. Most accidents are, in my opinion, not caused by drinking/driving or speeding. Most accidents are caused by a lack of due care which is a motoring offence.

Worst is the standard of signalling one's intentions to other road users. Bad enough to brake first and then signal a left turn. I have even seen people signal half way and then they turn. Some do not signal left turns at all, especially heading east out of town and failing to signal at the junction of Point Finger Road and Berry Hill Road. This is just one example.

Worse is failing to signal a right turn and even some professional drivers in taxis and trucks fail to signal a right turn. Let's get back to basic courtesy; start at the bottom as Mayor Giuliani did in New York City. Police should pull over people who do not signal; book them if their signals do not work or they did not use them. Signalling after you brake or after you have started to turn the wheel is too late. Let's have a campaign to signal forty yards before you turn, using common sense when there is more than one turning. Bike riders should use hand signals as often as possible and there is no reason why four wheeled vehicles drivers should not do so as well.

I do not think Government needs to do this; insurance companies should fund a campaign; obviously repair garages will not. How can we keep traffic flowing? By avoiding accidents! Not by complaining about the third lane. If bike riders do not use "the third lane" on wet Monday school day mornings, the traffic in the week would be backed up to Southampton if every bike rider stayed in line behind the vehicle in front. Asking bike riders to do this is inane, impractical and downright counter productive. I know there are too many Government vehicles on the roads, which have been given to too many civil servants. I do know that the third lane is more difficult now because of the size of vehicles permitted by the Government. I do not expect the Government to do anything that will benefit the people of Bermuda; let us do it ourselves with the help of the Police enforcing the law in respect of signalling. They may even pull up some guy who has had a few sips of beer "over the limit". Let us be aware of other drivers and signal, signal, signal. That is a start

J.E. WAKEFIELD

City of Hamilton