Stepping into the deep end...

My last post discussed the emergence of the OBA (One Bermuda Alliance) on the political scene and no matter how much things seem to change, they in fact stay pretty much the same. The discussions that seem to be prevalent in and around our society seem to be related to when and if an election will be called, and if we as a nation are prepared for it. Such discussions seem to include talks of independence, and as usual all things underlying (racism...colonialism). Devolution of our sensibilities is well under way, and before we know it, we will be drowning in propaganda and all things that will keep us away from the decisions that must be made, decisions that will ultimately determine our future.

When it comes to making important decisions, we have a hard time with the connection between head and heart. Our head tells us that we must make an intelligent decision based on facts and figures, issues and policies. Our heart tells us that we must make an emotionally intelligent decision, following our heart, and not allowing propaganda such as "the race card" to blindly drive us to make a decision that in retrospect might not have been made in a non-election period.

It is always advisable to know how to swim before we jump into the deep end of the pool. In fact, it might be advisable to make sure there are enough life preservers around, just in case we need one. Recent elections, have shown that without a viable opposition, we will have our current government for a long, long time to come. The status quo. Certainly there are some who believe that the status quo is unacceptable, but the vast majority, who can not conceive voting for the opposition, would seemingly rather drown than seek the only other option available.

Currently the options are the governing PLP, or the UBP.... oops.... I  mean the OBA... I forgot that there was a difference. Are these the only options that we have? We could choose to NOT vote, which I do NOT personally approve of. The last by-election, showed only 40% of the constituency's electorate participate, and that can not be acceptable at all. How can a candidate be elected when under half of those who are able to vote, don't? In fact, the majority, by not participating are conceding their futures to choices made by others! Insanity. The birthright of everyone in our country is the right to vote, and if it means that much then get involved in the process and get in a candidate that will best represent your views.

There is a third option (or fourth if you have an independent candidate in your constituency), and while a third option would not be a vote of confidence, it would send a clearly defined message to our supposed leadership. A move of huge proportions, a vote of "un-confidence" in the leadership and the opposition. A vote that speaks volumes, and explains the level of frustration in the community and in our country as a whole. The key is to set in motion a movement of change, a movement that will set in motion the steps of a new democratic environment, one that would allow the people to have the ultimate say as to who they want to lead their country.

The third choice... the "spoiled ballot". To enter the voting booth and make the only choice that we can. To purposefully and dramatically write UNWORTHY on the ballot. To tell those who would seek to lead that we will not vote for people simply because there is no choice, but that we do indeed choose... none of the above. A radical approach. What then? Will the current government remain in power by default? What will happen then? We can't possibly go off half-cocked and simply destroy a system without a backup plan, without a plan for the future... can we?

I actually would like to believe that we can do this and before we go to the polls, we can have a backup plan, we can have a better idea, we can get rid of the partisan politics that continue to inspire hate and divide us, that we can at long last have a government that is representative of our people and will answer completely to us. A fair balance of representation in 9 parishes, 3 corporations, and ministers for each major portfolio. A smaller, harder working government that works for the people.

A chance for change. A chance to have accountability, respect and a vote that matters. Isn't that the way it should be?

Breaking through...

Change is a difficult thing. Change asks us to step outside of what we see as comfortable and take a chance on something new, something that might not be natural. Change pushes the envelope, demands that we make a sacrifice and that we recognize the faults in what we are currently doing. Change happens when someone is forced to re-evaluate their position for one reason or another. A person may do this for health or financial reasons, businesses do this primarily to stay in business. A change in management, staff or outlook may require harsh changes.

In 2008, the United States voted for change, choosing Barack Obama as the first African American president, a historically significant change, for he changed the way people perceived Blacks, and the world took notice. He not only took on the single hardest job in the world, he did so at a time when the world was/is reeling from one of the largest known financial crisis' ever. It is unknown if we will ever be able to accept the changes that have been affecting us all. If we know anything, change must happen. It is a part of our evolution.

In Bermuda, we have had our own version of change. 1998 saw the election of the PLP in a Westminster system of government. It was a major change at that time because our island had never known a PLP government, and the years of UBP abuses had finally caught up with them. A PLP government brought change, and even today we have more change. Jennifer Smith, Alex Scott, Ewart Brown, and now Paula Cox... four leadership changes in eleven years as the governing party forges it's future. Are we confident in the changes? Does the PLP provide the real change people expected in 1998?

Our opposition has had their own change. The legacy of the UBP would be one that guaranteed their ultimate demise. As Bermuda's first governing political party, they utilized every trick in the book to secure their position until that fateful November day in 1998 when the people demanded change. The last vestiges of the UBP are now committed to history as the once power party has become a chapter in our history. The emergence of the Bermuda Democratic Alliance, and now the One Bermuda Alliance and the mass defections from the UBP to the OBA leave us all wondering.... who's fooling who?

Accusations of a scripted plan and the mass defections are not votes of confidence in the public eye. The UBP -> BDA -> OBA move has not really fooled anyone has it? While it has left two mp's (including the UBP leader) scrambling and scratching their heads in a truly WTF moment, political pundits knew that splitting an already weakened opposition would do nothing but strengthen the government come the next election. Sadly, this farce will probably end up doing the exact same thing.

How can so many UBP mp's have such a HUGE change of philosophy, all at once? Was the BDA really threatening anyone at all? How is the OBA any different than the old UBP? Change the name and maybe people will forget who you were to begin with? What dynamic philosophy change does the OBA bring to the table that the old UBP doesn't?

Note to Mr. Barritt and Mr. Cannonier. You're not fooling anyone.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The worst part of all of the OBA/UBP shenanigans is that it breeds arrogance and complacency from the government. No one in the government fears anything from the opposition, and as such we should all be afraid. Very afraid. If apathy and disgust rules at the polls when the next election rolls around, which should be in the next 12 months, we may find that there is little to be hopeful for. If people don't feel the need to vote, and stay away from the polls, in the end, we will all be losers.

The question has to be then... what are our choices? Revolution? Our world is filled with revolution as of late. The changes in the middle east are inspiring for all. Truly, the power of the people is an awesome thing when in motion, and it is hard not to be impressed by millions seeking change. But here? In Bermuda? Are we revolutionaries born? I don't see the hardship in our bellies that breeds revolutionaries, not in this generation, and probably not in future generations either. We have not been born to fight, we have not hungered, we have not struggled and even now, when times are harder then they have been for many years, far longer than most of us remember.

Our choices seem difficult to envision, but there are choices, Tough decisions must be made. How do we  effect change when we are entrenched in a system that offers so little hope.

To quote Mr. Cannonier and most recently Mr. Barritt.... "Stay Tuned!"

Back to life... back to reality.

“If those in charge of our society - politicians, corporate executives, and owners of press and television - can dominate our ideas, they will be secure in their power. They will not need soldiers patrolling the streets. We will control ourselves.” - Howard Zinn

Time off does several things to the ego. It challenges you to be productive, and at the same time allows you the time to question your abilities and how you got to where you are today. Unemployment, for a man in his mid- 40's is hard enough, especially with two teenage kids. The questions that enter the mind are whether or not you'll get a job, and what kind of job that will be, and ultimately who will hire you?Who am I competing with? Is discrimination something I need to be worried about? Not racial discrimination, but age discrimination? When your confidence is low, you don't realize how hard it is to get out of bed in the morning. It's getting close to a year without employment. All of a sudden pride is no longer a question. I can understand desperate, I can understand frustration. The jobs in the newspaper all have someone else's name on them.

A few thoughts on the rising unemployment rate in Bermuda. As there is no official method of tracking unemployment, it might behoove someone to actually work on a way to find out. Pension records should show last receipt of payment, or social insurance, or payroll tax. Surely those people who have paid these taxes before who aren't paying them now can't all be dead. That Dept. of Statistics place... can't they produce some stats?

Just a thought. Run a program, produce a report.

A few years ago, there was a document entitled the "Shift Report" that was created to provide information as to how our country has "shifted" it's economic focus from a tourism based industry, to an International business industry. In that report, it explained how most of our people were unprepared for that shift, and that the closures of hotels and losses of jobs in the hospitality industry has affected our way of life. The report went into many details of many different areas of our islands evolution, but failed to recognize the overall impact of that shift. It was very short-sighted and failed to predict what would happen when and if a recession hit.

We failed to recognize what would happen if the international business sector down-sized or ultimately leave our shores. We have failed to formulate a backup-plan when and if the inevitable happens and these companies, who have no contracts to remain here, decide that it is more cost-effective to move their companies to places that can offer tax credits and lower costs of operations. The cost of doing business is much higher when the home country needs to have their people employed, and their leaders decide that these companies should indeed return home, or be taxed appropriately.

Why run an offshore business if it will be taxed anyway? The old "you can run, but you can't hide" adage is applicable here. We are not guaranteed forever, and forever may have an end date. It may happen sooner than we think. So what of the back-up plan? Where do we go when Bermudians are looking for work? Where do we go when none of the jobs advertised fit? What do we do now?

The Tucker's Point SDO is a double edged sword. We want more tourists, to create more jobs, but we don't want to do it at the expense of our last vestiges of an eco-system, and the legacy of a racist system that has denied blacks the rights to own the land that was taken from them 100 years ago. We seem to be at a crossroads in our period of evolution. We desire all the benefits of the present with modern technologies and advancements in our society, but we are handcuffed by our own moral conscience of what's right and what's wrong. We accept that our society has certain acceptable and unacceptable ills, yet we are so afraid of becoming worse than we are.

A company who is in serious debt is being allowed to "expand" it's operations? How does that work? If I was 150 million in the red, I see my way forward by tapping a resource that is unproven?  Tread carefully my friends, this can only get worse.

Here's my problem with the SDO.

Are we using TPC as a last roll of the dice for the Tourism industry in Bermuda? Really??? If Tuckers Point fails, tourism is doomed? What tourism? I'll take the obligatory stance and ask the obvious question... what tourism industry? The Minister for Tourism has said that they need to find ways to make our "product" better. What exactly is our "product"? What exactly do we have to sell that people can't get in other places cheaper or more efficiently?

Our position in the marketplace is tenuous. It is one that no longer appeals to a certain market or markets. The once vast middle class of American visitor is almost gone, and thus we have a product that does not appeal to the expanded lower class who can not afford it, and it does not appeal to the upper class who demand more bang for their buck. Low cost airlines appeal to bargain hunters, but when has Bermuda ever been a bargain for anyone? A $98 dollar ticket for a $300 per night room? This type of logic defies belief. Cruise ships bring in the masses, but how are they encouraged to do more than buy a t-shirt or a trinket (more than likely items not made in Bermuda)? Are we telling the ships to close up their bars and restaurants while they are in port? Are the entertainment options on board better than what the tourist will find while in port?

We know the answers. The "product" is broken and the big question is whether or not we have the guts to fix it properly. It's a huge gamble. It will inevitably change the course of our island forever... but as with electricity, cars, television and the internet, we must take that gamble, we must ultimately do what is the right thing for our country, and the people in it. That cold hard slap in the face is one we've failed to grasp. Our choices are limited.

Gaming must be considered as the next step. The crisis of conscience hits again. Our moral standards need to be checked. Yes, casinos are our future. The "fix" for our product, the way to improve it and make it better is to "shift" once again. We must include gaming as part of our product, and with it we must accept those things that come with it. Just as we did when we shifted away from tourism as a primary industry, the only way back will cost us a part of who we are.

Gaming will bring problems. It will force us to "shift" our uber-conservative position into a more liberal and open one. It will do for us, what International business has not done for us. It will re-create a market for which we are aptly suited. Tourism. It will create jobs, it will stimulate the economy and it will force us to "shift" our target market to offer something that other tropical locations have been doing for quite some time... FUN. For far too long have we lost focus on the idea that we are a beautiful island, a haven, a retreat, a vacation spot, a place to get away for a day, a weekend... whatever. Pink sand beaches, pristine blue oceans, golf and tennis, are all small parts of the product, but these things just aren't marketable any more. We need a shift. We need to get back to Bermuda, a country who needs Tourism as the PRIMARY industry.

One last note. I entered a local "chain" eatery in the Washington Mall the other day. Not one Bermudian is employed in this particular "chain link" of the establishment. When are our people going to stop supporting these places? By purchasing their goods, we continue to support a bottom-feeder employment scheme that allows these people to support the system overall. We need to start supporting BERMUDIAN establishments, and if that takes a bit more effort... so be it.

Rain... and other problems.

Water. It's hard to believe that this, the most basic of resources is still a major issue for so many Bermudians.  For all of our technological advances in our small society, we have not managed to supply our households with enough water, and we have not found a permanent solution to the one resource that we should have absolutely no problem with. Late last week we had good rain, but it certainly is not enough. So far I have had to purchase water two times this summer - 3 loads each time. With a house of 6 adults and 1 infant, my shower-time is ever shorter, and flushing is limited.

Speaking of resources, what are we doing to cut down on our carbon footprint? What is happening at BELCO to move our society forward and away from our need for fossil fuels? Why aren't we exploring wind farms and wave power offshore? Is our society too large to facilitate such a move? Why aren't we signed up for any new forms of energy initiatives? Shouldn't our country be on the forefront of explorative energy production?

On the domestic front, we seem to be bogged down by issues that seemingly are not going away. Bermudians Against the Draft (BAD) are fighting a losing battle I fear. Strange thing is, that options were available (reserve Constabulary and Fire Dept.), and certainly we could cut down on the tax-payers burden and have a few roads repaired. Have you seen Serpentine Road lately? I have no problems if you don't want to be in the military, but I do believe that all 18 year olds should serve their country in one form or another. National service establishes pride in your country and gives young people a chance to develop skills that they wouldn't normally.

Last but not least, the employment scene is scary. More and more Bermudians (myself included) are seeking work (I am using multiple part-time jobs to get by). The issues here are many. With more people desperate for employment, crime will most certainly rise. We will have more people staying sick, because more people will be uninsured by not having basic insurance coverage. By the way... when are we going to have a national health plan? Shouldn't that, like access to water be a right of everyone? Times are tough, there is no doubt, and as we head into the doldrums of summer, it will be important for all of us to realize that Bermuda is not the same Bermuda most of us grew up in and we need to stop wanting it to be that way. Progress is painful.

More noise...

“Ten people who speak make more noise than ten thousand who are silent.” - Napoleon Bonaparte

Happy new year...

2010... here we come. here we are not out of January and we are already knee deep into the muck. I guess the challenge for any normal thinking person is to not take life as serious as we could. It's hard to not see the events that affect our world and become depressed. The Haiti situation is devastating, and we seem to be seeing more and more of these natural disasters in recent times. The tsunami that hit the Philippines, Hurricane Katrina, and now the earthquake in Haiti.

My religious friends deem this an act of God's vengeance, and while I have (and will probably continue) to debate the rationale of that argument, It definitely hits home. I don't believe that this horror is somehow vengeance from God for a questionable past. I prefer to believe that science had a lot to do with the earthquake and that idiots like Pat Robertson should not be seen and definitely not be heard.

That said, I read a great article by Sir Hilary Beckles on Haiti and how the French have done more damage to Haiti than this earthquake ever could.

What can not be argued is that millions of people are now in peril and countries who never gave a damn about Haiti before, seem to have changed their minds. It's funny how natural disasters do that, but human made tragedies don't. While I will not debate the need for aid in Haiti now, where has that aid been the past 100+ years? How is it that human rights violators like Mugabe and Bashir still walk free while millions are fighting for their very lives? The logic escapes me.

Here at home, all seems quiet. I knew Perry Puckerin from his participation in Devonshire Rec's youth program. To say that I was shocked to find out about his murder would be putting it mildly. In the recent years I knew him, he was a genuinely warm and funny guy, and he never ever showed any signs of the lifestyle that ultimately took his. RIP Perry... you will be missed.

Lot's of talk about the gang situation and what we can do. Had a chance to hear Dr. Matthews last night at DRC and he connects on a lot of levels. I'm a supporter of Rise Above Bermuda and wish him all the best, It's nice to see good people do good things in our community. Let's hope that it's contagious.

“It is perhaps a more fortunate destiny to have a taste for collecting shells than to be born a millionaire” - Robert Louis Stevenson

We must find a way. We must have a plan. We must break that which is broken, break it completely so that it can not ever be resurrected, for we know now that what is broken should not continue to be used. We must forge a new path, as those before us who believed in manifest destiny...

We must be thankful for where we are and how we came to be, we must be a government of one people, undaunted, undivided. We must love the aged and the young, their contributions mean so much. We must educate and be educated, to stop learning is to stop living, for we are here on planet earth for a reason, to be great, each and every day.

We must grow more food, we must drive less, we must find ways to save our world, to save our people. We must make less war, and make more love, for there can be nothing better than love. We must cry more, laugh more. We must give more and take less. We must take pride in our accomplishments and strive to be better every day. We must find cures for the plagues that affect us. We must plant more trees and build less skyscrapers, we must use less and recycle more. We must seek less from God, and take responsibility for our people and our world. We must remove barriers and build bridges, we must invite more and not wait to be invited, we must work harder and celebrate less.

We must smile more, for we know that in the smile of a child there is nothing more precious or beautiful. We must accept that we are not perfect and that it is ok. We must develop relationships based on friendships without expectation or demand. We need less in our banks and more in our hearts. We must show our future generations that there is hope and that together we can achieve much, alone we achieve little.

One hope for all at this time of year... that we have learned from our mistakes, that we can move beyond hate and learn to appreciate the gifts we have. Move with love in your heart and we will all move mountains.

"Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of Universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life." - Dalai Lama

The past month has been really hectic and I haven't had much time to gather my thoughts, but hopefully with the year winding down, I have found some moments for reflection, meditation and growth. Our world is so much smaller now and if we let it spin out of control we can easily lose sight of the important things.

With so much negative press surrounding events both local and foreign, and most of it negative, I'm going to take a few words to give props, where props are due. Funny isn't it we often hear how the media reads off the Police blotter every day, as if they are afraid to report "good" news. Are we so obsessed with negativity (and there is enough to report) that we can not celebrate some successes?

Congrats go out to Somerset School of Dance for their bi-annual performance held at the Ruth Seaton James auditorium at the end of November. I know a lot of parents at the school would love to see their kids dance more, I know how much I love watching my daughter dance, but credit to Sal Hodgson for making her school more than just a place to go for recitals. The RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) curriculum is one of the leading ballet methods in the world, and it's a bonus to know that all of her students pass their examinations with flying colors. It doesn't get reported on the news, but it's the truth.

As most will know, I am far from a supporter of the queen, but I am glad she came. There is some kind of magic with her that draws people from far and wide, and while I didn't take the opportunity to go out and see her, I am not the least bit surprised by the turnout. The premier alluded to the idea that we shouldn't read anything into her popularity as it regards independence and I tend to agree, but I don't think it was really necessary to come out and say that. Enjoy the moment, and know that we can allow for a moment of pomp and circumstance.

This past weekend I was proud to join the CURB table at the "Global Village" in Par-La-Ville Park. I gather the major sponsors are Chewstick, and I was really impressed with the social activism that was displayed by so many of the islands different groups. I will always preach the importance of being active, it is so important for our communities, and ultimately our country, that people care. If we can take the energy of the "Global Village" and unite to tackle some of our social ills, I'm certain we can move mountains.

Christmas is a time of year when we spend time with family and friends, and Bermuda has it's own set of traditions, that makes our country a great place to be. It's a great time of year, and I hope everyone takes a moment to move away from the negativity that is constantly beaten into our social media, and our regular media to embrace the season. Hug your kids, love your families and love one another people, for we are truly worth it.