Bermuda claims richest in the world,yet many are poor & homeless

Fulfil pledge to build homeless shelter, MP tells Government

A five-year-old promise to build a new homeless shelter needs to be fulfilled by the Government, UBP MP Charlie Swan said last night.

His statement comes after Major Doug Lewis of the Salvation Army estimated that between 250 and 300 people on the Island are homeless, and that the shelter has to turn away people every night.

Yesterday Mr. Swan, the Shadow Minister of Housing, said: "This Government must move with speed to meet the needs of the growing numbers of displaced Bermudians. This should include any funding support to bolster the operations of the Salvation Army Shelter operations.

"In addition, we expect the Government to get off its butt to fulfil its commitment — now five years old and counting — to build a shelter for 200 people."

According to the Salvation Army, the organisation's largest shelter on the Island, located on Marsh Lane, can house 55 people a night, 15 women and 40 men. Mr. Swan said the buildings, which have already outlived their 10 to 12 year intended lifespan, are in a state of disrepair.

"My colleague Louise Jackson toured the site and found holes in the plywood walls, chunks of roof caving in, pipes hanging off walls, wooden floors rotting and up to eight people sharing a room," he said. "The existing building is a wreck. Clearly the shelter was overused and taxed beyond it's capabilities."

In 2005, Major Lindsay Rowe of the Salvation Army called the building a national disgrace and said that the building should be condemned.

In that year's Throne speech, Premier Alex Scott pledged to start work on a night shelter that could bed 200 people. The cost of the proposed shelter was estimated to be $28 million, with funding for the work mentioned in the 2006/07 budget.

Last July, Dale Butler announced a proposed redevelopment of the North Street Shelter, which would nearly double the shelter's capacity.

In September, Mr. Butler told The Royal Gazette: "I told Government that we really needed to build a new shelter, as this is overdue by 20 years. The Ministry of Works and Engineering jumped on board and (Minister) Burgess got us some local architects and also some from Canada.

"The Ministry was also determined to get things done, and prior to the economic downturn, it looked like we would get the $14 million we needed.

"In the end, we only got $1 million, but this will help the ground work."

On Tuesday, Mr. Lewis told the Hamilton Rotary Club that he had seen a 20 percent increase in families requiring assistance from the shelters since 2006, but the biggest increase has been among young men.

Because of the increase, Mr. Swan said that the issue needed to be treated "as a matter of urgency."

"It is incumbent on any right-thinking government to protect the citizens most in need, and the lack of facilities to meet the needs of the growing numbers of homeless must be addressed."

Bermuda will have shed 1,000 jobs by the end of the year and that figure could double by the end of 2010, according to hiring expert Doug Soares.

He told The Royal Gazette: "This is the worst recession that I can remember in terms of job losses. Before we close 2009, we estimate Bermuda's workforce will have shed over 1,000 jobs from its all-time high of more than 40,000 jobs recorded in 2008.

"In the end, I would not be not surprised if total job losses due to the 2008/09 recession amount to more than 2,000 because many of the job losses in industries such as construction and hospitality will continue into 2010."Virtually all the major industries have been hit, said Mr. Soares who runs employment agency Expertise.

calls on Environment Minister to 'come clean' on Southlands

PLP gov't is building housing for their imported SLAVES ,nothing for locals, the homeless or the Salvation Army ,whose funding they cut

Hunt is Ewart Brown’s ace boy, he’s building 10 story dorm for 450 stacking them in like sardines so the hoards of foreigners the PLP are importing (twice  more than  the UBP allowed) can make his friends & family multi-millions,run their PAY-TO PLAY business, do the grunt jobs building and working in the new Morgans Point Casino

PLP Minister of the Environment Glenn Blakeney has been accused of making a mockery of the planning process by his opposite number after giving the green light to a controversial project in Warwick.

As previously reported, Mr. Blakeney overruled Planning officials in approving a ten-storey housing block for Southlands Ltd in Hunt's Quarry, Warwick.

The housing development was originally intended to house up to 375 workers for the proposed new Southlands resort and other hotel staff.

But it was turned down by the Development Applications Board (DAB) due to "insufficient information" on the mixed-use facility.

Planning officials said the inclusion of warehousing and light industry on the same site was 'incompatible", and that the density of staff housing was excessive.

The Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce (BEST) said last week that Mr. Blakeney's overturning of Planning officials' decisions had set a "disturbing" precedent.

It also questioned the need for the dormitory-style complex due to the Southlands resort proposals being redrawn.

"As that hotel has been relocated to Morgan's Point, the application for a dormitory and laundry facilities at the Hunt's Quarry site in Warwick has questionable validity," said the campaign group.

Speaking out on the topic yesterday, Shadow Minister of the Environment Cole Simons accused Mr. Blakeney of making a mockery of the planning laws with his decision.

"Why should we consider this development if there is no clarity around the underlying land exchange and the appointment of new hotel developers at Morgan's Point?

"Given the collapse of the Jumeirah Southlands Hotel development, the accompanying Southlands Special Development Order, which includes the staff dormitories as a hotel-related development, should not be considered at this time.

"If Mr. Hunt is wishing to proceed with this development, independent of any affiliation with hotel development, then his application should be treated like any other DAB application.

Ex-Gitmo prisoners work major Bermuda tournament

while hundreds of Bermudians are homeless and out of work

because its not a depression for the fat cats on the PLP  govt "friends & family" gravy train,its only a recession for us TAXPAYER SUCKERS paying for their luxurious lifestyle

SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda — Four former Guantanamo Bay prisoners who have settled in Bermuda are playing a behind-the-scenes role in the wealthy island’s sporting event of the year.

The four ethnic Uighurs from western China are working as groundskeepers during the PGA Grand Slam of Golf at Port Royal Golf Course. The first round was starting Tuesday, featuring some of the biggest names in the sport.

The Uighurs have spent the past four months grooming the Trent Jones-designed course and will be out between rounds to cut, rake and repair.

How the taxpayers are supporting $36M in waste
Government's financial people - and everyone else - knows that things are tight now, and will likely get tighter next year. Government is looking to do two things. Get more tax revenue - from somewhere. Cut costs - somehow.

Government can reduce its costs by $36,000,000 right now.

This $36,000,000 is sitting smack dab in the eye of the public and smack dab in the eye of the Minister for Finance. Currently, there are about 3,750 students spread throughout Bermuda's six private schools (*). These 3,750 pay an average $15,300 (**) tuition. The national cost for all 3,750 privately educated students in these six schools is about $57,000,000 - employing 454 teachers/staff.

There are about 5,750 students spread throughout Bermuda's thirty-seven public school units (***). Government spends an average $22,300 per student on their education. The 2009/2010 government budget for all 5,750 publicly educated students is just over $128,000,000 - employing over 1,200 teachers/staff.

Just suppose - suppose - that the public system was at least as efficient and effective as the private system. What would it cost?

Simple arithmetic says that it would cost - should cost - about 5,750 students x $16,000 per student (allowing for lingering and relative inefficiency) = about $92,000,000.

$128,000,000 (what is now spent on public education) LESS $92,000,000 (what it could and really should cost) = $36,000,000 (equals the current excess spending on public education).

If, at the least, public education were as efficient and effective as Bermuda's existing private system, public education would only cost about $92,000,000 a year, which is a recurring saving of $36,000,000 per year. This is a massive government saving.

With such a massive saving the Minister for Finance could meet much of this year's expected current account shortfall - OR - reduce customs duties by 15 per cent and give all Bermuda residents some price relief - OR - cut personal payroll tax to one per cent for all lower income Bermudians and give them a tax break 3.75 per cent "pay rise" - OR - spend more on good tourist advertising - OR - cover Future Care costs right now - OR - ... ... ...?

Bermuda's resident population is only 65,000 persons. These 65,000 residents spend the stupendous sum of $57,000,000 + $128,000,000 = $185,000,000 on the public and private education of just 9,500 students. Relatively, that is a world record high. A Guinness Book of Records high. Nowhere else in the world spends like that on education. Nowhere!

It is one of the reasons why some costs in Bermuda are so high. It is one of the ways in which Bermuda often prices itself beyond the reach of ordinary Bermudians. It is one of the factors causing some college-educated Bermudians to choose not to return and raise families here; or emigrate in order to raise a family and have a good quality of family life.

For four out of ten residents, education in Bermuda is a double jeopardy. The parents of children in the private system must first work and pay Bermuda's high national taxes in order to fund their share of the tax burden of the $128,000,000 public education system.

THEN they work some more and PAY AGAIN for the costs of private education. They pay TWICE in a colossal and unnecessary national duplication of national effort.

'Race flaggers' who may have already begun saying that it's "all those white folks" who are doing that need to open their eyes and minds, and go and count the colours at all the private schools. And the uncounted 'home schools'. And the 'home tutoring' places. And the students who are sent overseas to boarding schools. Colour count them all.

In this year's budget, there is at least $36,000,000 of waste. It is in the national Education Budget. It was there in last year's $123,000,000 Education budget ($32m wasted last year). If there is no change, the waste will be budgeted for and inserted in next year's Education budget.

Imagine. Actually budgeting for obvious waste. Actually putting waste into a budget.

Actually taxing people and businesses so as to waste the tax dollars. And, at the same time, talking about cutting and saving and making economies. It is imprudent. It is immoral. It is stupid.

Something is wrong - bloody wrong!

Bermuda is breaking down

October 15, 2009

Dear Sir,

With the culmination of the long night ending in the validation of Dr. Brown and his actions, I have to hang my head in mourning for my Island home.

While the results of the votes were not a surprise, it was still a disappointment and a sad day for Bermuda.

I fear Dr. Brown will take Bermuda down a road from which she will never recover. The avarice and self-serving actions of the politicians on this island will strip the soul from an Island with centuries of history. The remaining husk will carry on, a lesser version of itself, like a zombie in the night.

I have never been so disappointed in a collection of humans in my life. The weakness and cowardice that emanates from the sitting MPs, every single one of them, fills my nostrils with a tainted stench that I am ill-equipped to stomach. They need to look deep into their souls and simply around this Island to see what their mismanagement is fostering.

This Island is on a one-way road to disaster. The drop in tourism is obvious, but people choose to believe we are in a "Platinum Period". International Business is moving out or passing over, but people choose to believe we have no need to change. Following the status quo is easy, it requires no effort. I will give Dr. Brown this, he has no problem disrupting the status quo, unfortunately his goals and actions are mercenary and for the betterment of his ego rather than our Island. But I do wish that more had his spirit and drive, just mixed with a little humility and intelligence. But through the apathy of the people and the incompetence of our leaders we will sit in one spot like a rotting fruit on the ground as the world passes us by.

Fortunately, there are people on this Island who are well suited for this environment, and are happy to have the wool fitted firmly over their eyes. Even if they are suffering, even if they are the footstools of the politicians, even if they see the Island they love deteriorate into a cauldron of violence, crime, ignorance and mistrust. Everything is fine. I cannot lay the blame solely on Dr. Brown, he is what the people want, they don't want responsibility, they do not want to think, they do not want to have to do any work or put forth any effort to make Bermuda a better place. Sheer laziness and blind ignorance put this Island on a path to ruin.

If you look around, I mean really look around, and recall the physical Bermuda you knew from your childhood (some may not go back as far as others, but even in the last ten years), this Island is taking on the face of its people. It is a direct reflection of the mentality of this population, and a mirror for the ugliness that this culture is taking on. I look to the ground and marvel, that on an island as small as this, people cannot wait five minutes to throw something away, they just toss it to the ground, or dump it in the parks or throw it overboard. A true testament to the irresponsibility and selfishness of this people. Look around, see the buildings and concrete devour the land, with no consideration for the aesthetics or beauty of our cultural architecture or natural beauty. It seems anything gets approved with enough money or connections and that's what it looks like, a chaotic scab infecting the once beautiful Island. There is only lip service to conservation and preservation of our greatest resource.

The monstrosities being erected only blot out the disrepair of our history as we allow the Island fall into a dilapidated state. We have shanties, homeless, jobless. We have people dying alone and uncared for in abandoned containers and our once pristine parks. We have shootings and murders, crime of all kinds, yet nothing is done. People throw blame around and protest the crumbling of our society, but no one looks at the root. No one looks for a solution, a cure, only at ill-conceived treatments, as long as something is in it for them. Education is at the bottom of the priority list, "keep 'em dumb and reliant and we'll stay in power", the more things change, the more they stay the same.

There is a critical breakdown in our society, and I am afraid it is one that cannot be stopped unless people change. A child does not end up killing or stealing in adulthood because he was evil. It was learnt through neglect or example from family and role models. "Do what you want as long as no one finds out...", hell, "Do what your want..." seems to be the mantra these days. It does not matter if someone finds out, blame someone else. Accountability and responsibility are foreigners in this land, it has become every person for themselves and this is being handed down to our children. Think of the example we are setting while we cheer or mourn the survival of Dr. Brown. The most prominent role model on the Island. This is the legacy we leave, how we will be remembered.

Why not be transparent if nothing is done wrong? Why deceive if your intentions are true? I am so sick of the refuse that pours out of the mouths of politicians. However, I wish I could say we deserve better. We deserve exactly what we get, because we allowed it to happen. I could quote all sorts of scripture and verse, but that is always disingenuous and self-serving that it no longer has any meaning.

Suffice it to say, some of us will cry, some of us will mourn, some will leave, some will fight and some will remain clueless and, like a multitude of Nero doppelgangers, will fiddle as our Island burns.

I am glad I was able to witness the Bermuda of my youth and I weep for the children of the future as they only get a mere shadow of what we were lucky enough to have. And it is my fault. It is our fault. It is all of our faults.

SHAME ON US

Smith's

by Bob Stewart Gov't. debt is cheating our children

Larry Burchall in a recent series of excellent articles on education has clearly demonstrated that we are cheating our children by failing to educate them properly.

He stopped short of saying that parents who send their children to government schools should be charged with neglect. But only just.

The other way we are cheating our children is the massive debt that the Bermuda Government is accumulating.

I made reference to that debt on the David Lopes radio show on ZBM radio last week, and mentioned that by my calculations total government debt is in the order of $3,000 million.

The Minister of Finance has stated that my figures are wrong and exaggerated.

My figures were not pulled out of a hat but are based on the Government budget and the most recent actuarial reports on the main government pension funds. Let me explain further.

The latest government debt in the last Budget Statement (page 34) amounts to $539 million. In the financial year 1989/90 the debt outstanding was zero - this can be checked on the Budget Statement of 2000/2001, page 69.

With regard to pension deficits - meaning that what has been promised in benefits is significantly more than the amounts that have been set aside in a pension fund - the deficits can be summarised as follows.

On the Bermuda Contributory Pension Fund (or the Social Security Fund), the U.K Government Actuary's Department Report of June 2007 states on page 43 that "As at 31 July 2005, the Projected Benefit Obligation (what has been promised to members of the public) is $2,770 million.

This compares to the Fund market value of $996 million and so the unfunded liability in respect of accrued benefits is estimated to be $1,774 million".

On the Government of Bermuda Public Service Superannuation Fund as at March 31, 2004 it is stated on page 8 that "As at March 31, 2004 there is an unfunded liability of $533,981,600".

On page 4 of The Ministers and Members of the Legislature Pension Fund Actuarial Valuation as at March 31, 2004 there is a deficit of $4,998,600.

In summary the deficits are:

• Budget Deficit: $539 million;

• Social Security Fund: $1,774 million;

• Public Service Fund: $534 million;

• MPs Pension Fund: $5 million;

• Grand total: $2,852 million.

There is more bad news. The investments since 2004 have fallen in value.

On the Social Security Fund there was $722 million in equity investments and in the Civil Service Fund there was $302 million in equities. Total, just over $1 billion.

If one takes into consideration the fall in the value of equity investments since 2004, and adds a very conservative $150 million loss, it will be seen that the government debt is over $3,000 million or about $50,000 per head of the Bermuda population.

Who will pay that huge amount back? I know it will not be those over 65, or civil servants, or MPs or Ministers.

That task will fall to people mainly under 30, and most probably those under 15 going to school, happy in the knowledge that their parents and the Bermuda Government are looking after them.

We are cheating our children out of a decent education, and we are cheating them out of a financial future. Not something to be proud of.

Bermuda electric power is based on oil,soon that oil is going to cost more than we can afford. We can expect to see the return of triple-digit oil prices by next spring

Long distance transoceanic trade is about to go the way of the gas-guzzling SUV. Both are relics of an age of cheap oil that no longer exists.

Oil prices are already trading at around $80 per barrel when the red ink hasn't even dried yet on the deepest postwar recession in the largest oil-consuming economy in the world

Bermuda,is one of the most isolated places on earth,with absolutely no natural energy,all  resources must be imported,in tomorrow's economy, distance will cost money.

 the third report of gunfire in less than a week

Two men were shot in the Rubbertree area of Middletown last night leaving one man in a critical condition at the hospital

This shooting was at least the fourth outbreak of gun violence in recent months in the area, which is plagued by gangs.

Kenwandee Robinson, aged 27, was killed in a drive-by shooting on St. Monica's Road on the afternoon of May 22 and 24-year-old Michael Adams was badly injured.

That shooting also happened in the afternoon and was followed by more gunshots minutes later in Rambling Lane and Curving Avenue.

Another shooting happened the next morning on Court Street leaving three people injured.

Gunshots also rang out on St. Monica's Road in the early hours one February morning.