Why we are struggling

April 6, 2010

Dear Sir,

Have you ever wondered why the negative things that happen in Bermuda keep happening?

The reason is we who live here stop caring and the reason is we give up because we know the corruption and buddy system will never stop and no one will stand up and call for an end to it.

JACK HANDY

City of Hamilton

Burch's slanders

April 4, 2010

Dear Sir,

After listening to Col. Burch's comments last week regarding the new visa requirements for Dominican, Panamanian and Filipino nationals entering Bermuda to work and live, I was struck by the tone of his comments. During his delivery of this change in immigration policy, it was the tone used by Colonel Burch that overshadowed the actual message itself, thus causing needless consternation and anxiety amongst both Bermudians like myself and nationals of these three countries currently living and working in Bermuda. Upon hearing Colonel Burch's comments about older Bermudian men marrying younger attractive Dominican women and their inability to communicate upon their arrival at L. F. Wade International, I was particularly incensed because he made his comments as if this is some sort of crime.

I am the Bermudian husband of a Dominican national. I have been married to my wife just over four years. We both reside and work in Bermuda. When I initially met my wife in the Dominican Republic, she spoke some English and I spoke a little Spanish, but we were able to communicate with each other and over the course of time developed a relationship which grew into love and eventually we decided to marry. Now, some may be surprised by the fact that I am 26 years older than my wife, and I was a divorcee at the time I met my wife, while she was a student at a university in the Dominican Republic. My wife and I had long conversations prior to our marriage and arrival in Bermuda about the various cultural differences between Bermudians and Dominicans. One of the first cultural differences we discussed was our age difference, and how it would be frowned upon by some individuals in Bermuda. She actually found this amusing because in Dominican culture and other cultures around the world, a man's age has about as much significance as the colour of his eyes. When we eventually arrived in Bermuda we fit Colonel Burch's profile of "older Bermudian man married to younger attractive Dominican woman who cannot communicate with each other at LF Wade International".

After four years of marriage to my Dominican wife I can say with outmost confidence that I made an excellent choice in a mate and I would humbly submit that my wife feels the same. We have a very real marriage with occasional very real challenges. We have worked very hard at our relationship and marriage, which often includes overcoming the discrimination that my wife and I have felt at the hands of close-minded, opinionated and I would even go so far as to say jealous individuals who have questioned my decision to marry one of those "young, non-English speaking Spanish girls who are stealing our men".

In my opinion, Col. Burch has slandered and painted with broad brush strokes every Dominican, Panamanian and Filipino woman living in Bermuda. By using such inflammatory rhetoric, he has further fanned the flames of xenophobia that he has become known for. Colonel Burch, not every Dominican, Panamian or Filipino woman living in Bermuda is a prostitute, nor are they being exploited, abused or turned into virtual prisoners in their husband's home. I would admit, however, that some Bermudian men and Bermudian women have made questionable choices in choosing their foreign born mates. Stupidity cannot be legislated out of existence, but these Bermudians have lots of company with those thousands of Bermudian men and women who have made questionable choices in choosing their Bermudian-born mates.

Furthermore, if people think that there are no Bermudian prostitutes plying their trade in Bermuda, once again we have our heads in the sand. In closing, I would refer Colonel Burch to James chapter 3 verses 9 through 10 which state: "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. "

BERMUDIAN HUSBAND

Paget

Training is the answer

April 5, 2010

Dear Sir,

I've just finished watching "Let's Talk" on ZBM Channel 9 and I was very impressed with the panellists, both young and not-so-young. There was one occasion when Gary Moreno said, "Mothers, do you know where your children are?" Personally, I think that should have been amended to: "Fathers, do you know WHO your children are?"

I can't help feeling that Bermuda's education system is too strongly geared towards "book learning", college, university, and suchlike, and the poor kids who aren't academically inclined (and we all know some!) don't get a fair crack of the whip. It doesn't matter where you live: you still need your plumbers, joiners, electricians, builders, and general tradesmen, and you don't need a PhD to become good at a particular trade. I'm sure we all know some kids who are (to coin the old phrase) "as thick as two short planks" from the neck up, but are absolutely brilliant at things like motor mechanics, electronics, IT/computers, and what have you.

Bermuda should reintroduce something like the old "City and Guilds" apprenticeships, where youngsters learned a trade by doing it under the guidance of people who were actually good at it, not someone who had a piece of paper to say he was qualified to do it but was absolutely useless!

DAVIE KERR

Onich, Scotland

Tax system is progressive

April 6, 2010

Dear Sir,

Please allow me to respond to Leslie Smith's letter in today's paper regarding the tax rate in Bermuda. Mr. Smith, I too believe in a progressive tax system and I'm proud that Bermuda has just such a system. Our current system taxes income at a flat rate of roughly five percent. We are also taxed an average of 22.5% consumption tax which gives us an average tax base of 27.5 percent which is comparable to all the countries (US, UK, Canada) Mr. Smith mentioned.

The beauty of our tax system is that (for the most part) the consumption tax is done in such a way that the necessities of life (food, medical needs, books, etc.) are taxed at 0-5 percent and the luxuries of life (new cars, gasoline, alcohol, flat screen tv's) are taxed at a much higher rate (22.5 percent to 100 percent). This means that you can choose your level of taxation based on whether or not you consume luxury goods. Rich people will consume more of luxury goods, so this is progressive.

To solve the deficit issues (aside from the obvious i.e. spend less – just like any household or company should), there were better ways to do it than raising the costs on all businesses equally. If you raise the cost of something (e.g. labour), people will demand less of it. Small businesses will hire fewer people. So why don't we use this to our advantage and raise taxes on things that we want people to demand less of e.g. cars, gas, cigarettes, alcohol, fast food, etc. This achieves the same goals of more revenue while creating a better society. If you want a new car that is cheaper, try an electric car – they are duty free! Similarly, why charge the same flat fee for work permits which is regressive and penalises small businesses? Why not charge work permits as a percentage of salary which would be a flat percentage tax while raising more money (this may reduce salaries by the amount of the tax but so long as the tax were small e.g. five percent this should be acceptable).

TAXMAN

Hamilton Parish

BDA keeps on growing

April 6, 2010

Dear Sir,

The BDA and the UBP have ideals they share in common. Similarly the two parties enjoy a leadership which is racially integrated. Why then does Bermuda have to have a split opposition which can only be less effective in overcoming the PLP?

For one, percipient women are being attracted to an ever growing BDA. A good example is Toni Daniels who in her letter of Mar. 13 to The RG wrote: "I have found the methodology of the Alliance inspiring and attractive enough not only to shed my political indifference, but actually to feel hopeful for what changes the Alliance could bring to Bermuda."

Secondly, there will always be dissidents in the PLP and another writes to The RG on March 12 pointing out that hitherto "there hasn't been any viable alternative option for the soft underbelly of the PLP voters".

Thirdly, in an article in The RG of March 24, Myron Piper deplored the three-year delay in the implementation of the Hopkins Report recommendations and stresses the importance the BDA attaches to education "the pillar of our society".

Fourthly, in another feature article in The RG of March 26, Shawn Crockwell has stated that the BDA believes "it is time to put aside petty politics and start managing the people's business with genuine openness and transparency".

We can all look forward with confidence to the continuing growth of the BDA and its successful leadership of Bermuda.

OWEN H. DARRELL

Pembroke

Bermuda's rapid descent

April 6, 2010

Dear Sir,

My family moved from Bermuda in October, 2006 after eight great years there. We were middle class immigrants, not corporate robber barons, and I think the Bermudians I worked with and still know thought that I helped them where I could. Not least in helping to grow a company (as they did too) that employed dozens of Bermudians black, white and blue in the critical, knowledge-centric field of technology.

Bermuda's remarkably rapid descent in terms of societal disharmony, inter-racial relations and overall governance is deeply saddening. Our first apartment was down the road from Dandy Town and I occasionally stopped in for a beer there. To think that a random shooting occurred in that wee pub is shocking. The fact that a shooting incident has occurred every other day in Bermuda is frankly alarming and almost unbelievable.

Let's speak frankly about race because Bermuda has evolved to define itself almost exclusively in these terms, unlike most mixed-race countries. Black Bermudians are losing the opportunity of many lifetimes. Having rightly and democratically gained control of the country, all that is good about Bermuda is dissolving. The Police are mostly black, teachers are mostly black, the Government is exclusively black. Who then is to blame for the current situation? Whites are certainly still the wealthiest but they do not control any important social policy.

Black Bermuda must stop externalising its internal conflicts and confront them. Black Bermuda must stop fighting yesterday's wars and seize tomorrow's possibilities. Black Bermuda needs to leave the extremisms of neighbourhood, ideology, religion and race and understand that the only way forward is education, participation and peace. These are the common factors of every successful society of any colour throughout history. Throw out the thugs, including many current members of government.

Otherwise, the 1990s will be seen as Bermuda's best years. Hello Jamaica. This will be a shame.

PAUL BULLOCK

Jersey, Channel Islands

Part of the solution

April 7, 2010

Dear Sir,

This letter is in response to the letter from Jesse Kirkland published on April 5 in relation to renewable energy and grid parity.

Mr. Kirland states he is pleased to read of the interest that foreign solar companies have in moving into the Bermuda market. Indeed, the concept of reducing Bermuda's dependence on fossil fuel -based electricity is good, but if there is one thing that is an equal negative it would be for Bermudians to pay foreign companies for the generation and supply of electricity, when instead Bermudians themselves could all directly be part of the solution.

First Solar Inc, GT Solar, Trina Solar Ltd. and Evolution Solar Corp want to move into the Bermuda market so that they can take money out of it for the sole purpose of boosting their foreign stock prices. There are, and have been for more than two years, locally owned and operated alternative energy companies who can provide much better products and services than any of the companies listed above. My company, Alternative Energy Systems (Bermuda) Ltd. (AES) is 100 percent Bermudian owned and operated by fully trained and certified Bermudians. I am a chartered engineer and have 14 years experience with the local power company. PurEnergy is also a local renewable energy company (a Belco subsidiary) as is Solar Bermuda. Clearly the knowledge and capacity for supplying Bermuda with solar energy is already available locally and there is no need for foreign companies or workers to encroach on this emerging sector with the goal of taking businesses and jobs away from Bermudians.

Regarding the issues of grid parity and feed-in tariffs; Grid Parity is defined as the point at which renewable electricity is equal to or cheaper than grid power. In the industry this is primarily achieved, on a residential and small commercial basis, via a Net Metering interconnection agreement. A Net Metering agreement is used to credit the account of the renewable energy provider, for energy generated and supplied to the grid, at the same rate as they are charged to draw energy from the grid – basically this means that the meter will spin backwards during the day at the same rate that it spins forwards during the night. At the end of the billing cycle the customer is charged or credited with the net results registered on the meter – this can effectively reduce a Belco bill to a zero balance. On December 4, 2009 Belco agreed to adopt a Net Metering policy for 750 residents who wish to install a small scale renewable energy system.

A feed-in tariff on the other hand is a legal obligation on the utility to buy the electricity from renewable energy producers at a premium rate, and usually over a guaranteed period, making the installation of renewable energy systems a secure investment for the producer. The extra cost to the utility is shared among all energy users, thereby reducing it to a barely noticeable level. Feed-in tariffs in Canada are approximately $0.80, UK $0.53, Germany $0.60 etc.

Bermuda's renewable energy installers have recently launched a Bermuda Renewable Energy Council that has the full support and endorsement of the Ministry of Energy. Our mission is to address all of the current and future issues and ideas introduced to both the Government and the Utility from emerging renewable energy technologies. We will monitor the industry and installations, make recommendations on tariffs and processes, and establish training and education programmes for Bermudians through the National Training Board.

The Ministry of Energy has provided financial incentives and introduced programmes by removing all import duties and setting up a rebate scheme to give back to the public $1 per watt, up to $5,000, for each solar installation.

Bermudians have the ability to establish, nurture and grow a renewable energy industry in this island for the benefit of all Bermudians on a social, economic and environmental level. We finally have a new energy equation in Bermuda and we are all able to be a part of it.

TIM MADEIROS

CEO

Alternative Energy Systems (Bermuda) Ltd.