Beach brow beating Bermuda into giving permission for 39 condos to be sold to non-Bermudians. Elbow Beach apparently claims that it needs to sell these very expensive apartments in order to financially support the hotel operation. We don't know, but we suspect there is some agenda for these condos which has not yet become clear. Perhaps Elbow Beach plans to "sell'' them and then rent them back at least part of the year for use as lavish hotel suites.

Whatever the plan, the condos are simply not necessary to Bermuda. Elbow Beach knew what its costs were and what it needed from its hotel operation before it renovated the old hotel. Now it says it needs to further develop condos on the already developed south shore property in order to support its hotel operation. We do not believe that. It may be that it hopes to use the proceeds from the condos to finance the "palace'' on the dunes which we suspect is largely being built for the use of the hotel's owners. We think the new owners of Elbow Beach care little about Bermuda and a good deal about cash and simply want to build and sell 39 multi-million-dollar condos to make money out of Bermuda and Bermudians.

It has been said that Government gave Elbow Beach permission to sell the million-dollar units to non-Bermudians because it is part of the hotel's upgrading and expansion project which is to Bermuda's benefit. We think Government got that wrong. In any case, Bermuda supposedly has a moratorium on the building of condos for sale to non-Bermudians. Where did that go in such an unannounced hurry? We have to wonder if "someone'' has promised Elbow Beach that it can have anything it wants and if the Country is now only going through formalities.

Some Bermudians care deeply about the recession and problems in the hotel industry and jobs for Bermudians and this newspaper is very sympathetic but Bermuda cannot allow the Elbow Beach to use our problems to brow beat us into agreeing to things which basically violate Bermuda. That is what is happening and Elbow Beach's local representatives are threatening Bermuda to the point of blackmail. They say, Do what we want, OR ELSE. Bermuda must not bow to that.

Bermuda has to be developed fairly and in the best interests of Bermudians.

Bermuda must not be for sale in bits and pieces to non-Bermudian developers who want to make big bucks and run. They will be the first to say, "Bermuda's spoiled now. I'm out of here.'' Bermudians do not need more condos. There is a glut now and more are still going up. If non-Bermudians want a condo in Bermuda, and we welcome them to buy such a condo, then condos are available. There are also plenty of condos available today for Bermudians in a variety of price ranges. A few years ago we had a housing shortage but today we have a housing glut.

Bermuda has to plan in its own best interests in its own time and not to the tune of foreign owners.