How Do You Run A Country When You Can't Balance A Budget?

With Paula Cox touted as the most likely successor to Premier Ewart Brown come October it is not without good reason that I am worried that she seems either unable to control the spending of the Bermuda Government, which is exactly what Bermuda needs.

Under her watch we have seen:

• Heavy spending in the good times leading to the accumulation of massive debt in the bad
  
• Multiple projects running over budget
• Qualified Audits 2 years in a row
• $800 million going missing from the Consolidated fund
  

We have seen a finance minister who again and again has shown she has the backbone of a jellyfish. Unable (or Unwilling) to stand up to Dr. Brown and her cabinet colleagues she has appeared, and even claimed to be, politically neutered. Is that what we want in a future premier?

We have seen a Finance Minister who's best response to 20% yearly budget overspending is to pass the blame and play the part of the politically (or perhaps financially) neutered victim:

"I can indicate support or objection. However the sponsoring Minister(s) knows that I cannot overrule their request unless I have others who join with me to support and uphold my position."

We have seen a Finance Minister who has attempted to mislead the public using Bermuda's strangely large GDP (thanks to International Business) to mask the fact that our debt really is going through the roof (around 50% per year increase over the past 3 years).

We have seen a Finance Minister who can't even release the budget on time. Sure, according to law it's within their right but, one does not break with parliamentary tradition unless something is wrong. Maneuverability is a pathetic excuse.

Is it wrong of me to expect better from our probable future Premier? I guess in today's Bermuda it is.

The public's silence is deafening.

Expecting better would simply be...

Wishful Thinking

Here's Johnny!

Sorry about the recent lack of posts (to anyone who may read this) but, life got in the way for a while and life > politics/current affairs.

Just to ease myself back into it I'd like to make a few comments on an article that I was unfortunately not surprised to find myself reading. One regarding Dale Butler's hope of becoming Premier when Dr. Brown steps down in October.

An article that actually used the words "gay rights agenda" as if it were a subversive organization set out to destroy our country and repeatedly focused on the fact that any attempt to bring equality to our country will go against all that the PLP's religious supporters stand for and (here's the big argument) lose them votes.

That's right I'm talking about the article reporting Rolfe Commissiong's comments on the subject of Dale Butler and after a little reading around I'm happy to have found that Rolfe's views don't appear to be the actual party line but all the same the sheer ignorance of his comments left my head spinning. In the last century the very comments he is making would have been used to justify the inequality of blacks compared to whites and to justify the prevention of female suffrage and to even go into explaining why in so many ways his comments are unworthy of a first world multicultural country like Bermuda would be to simply waste my time because its common sense. It all boils down to equality.

He also seems to forget (as a very good LttE pointed out) that the current Premier and other PLP big names have previously voted for this "gay rights agenda" in passing the Stubbs Bill. Didn't seem to affect their popularity much did it?

Perhaps if PLP (And UBP and BDA) members were to simply vote conscious and forget about politics for just one second they would see just how important amending the HRA is. It's a matter of principle, of equality and of rights. Not Politrics.



And to all who may be reading I encourage you to go out and see what you can do for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. I can't stress enough how important even a few dollars can be but, I'm not going to go on and on about it. It's all been said already but, the people of Haiti need our help.


Wishful Thinking

A Happy New Year To All

Well the new year has begun and I'm sure we've all just about settled back into the daily grunge of regular life after a season of festivities but, there are storm clouds on the horizon. Violence is becoming worryingly common in Bermuda. Not even just gun violence but, violence in general. Without this culture of violence and disrespect that is now rearing its ugly head we would not now be dealing with what is just another extension of a long existing problem. Crime in Bermuda has become almost a joke, a dark, dark joke at that. Whether it be a comedy of errors in the courts, a lack of manpower on the streets or the inability to solve the crimes there always seems to be something. But, perhaps this is changing. Things are happening now, cooperation throughout the community and and between Government and Governor have always been key and now we really seem to be moving in the right direction. Unfortunately it took the shock of such unnecessary loss of life to get us to this point and we still have a long way to go. I'm hopeful but, part of me believes its going to get worse before it gets better and I don't know if Bermuda can handle that. We depend too much on image for both IB and tourism. Both of which have already taken major blows.

If I didn't listen to the talk in town I might have been able to fool myself and say that we're experiencing the platinum period of tourism that we've been told about all last year but, the numbers don't lie and spending is down. Its part of a trend that I can only assume won't reverse itself unless something is done and given the Government's record on tourism over these past few years I can't deny that I'm worried.

Bermuda has a lot to deal with in the coming year(s) but, I think we'll be able to handle them. Bermuda used to be another world but, we can't claim that any longer. We face the same troubles as all the rest of the world. At this point we can do two things: Pretend the ships not sinking Or get out there and start bailing. There's no reason we can't return to some semblance of the country we used to be. All it's going to take is a lot of work and this is the crucial year. As we weather out the aftereffects of the recession, deal with crime we will also experience a change in leadership. Dr. Brown has always been a controversial leader but, undoubtedly he's made his mark. In the past he's been a close candidate to take my title as the King of Wishful Thinking but, he has the power to do a lot of good this year and turn the country around.

We can only hope.

Wishful Thinking

Enough is Enough

Violence in Bermuda is getting out of hand. 3 Shootings in 12 hours.

I encourage anyone who can to come out and get involved in:

Rally for Peace:
Friday December 18th
Par-la-ville Park
6:00-7:30

The rally isn't going to solve the problem obviously but, its at least a start and anything is better than nothing at this point.

Brown seems lost in the Woods

Our dear leader just can't miss an opportunity to be in the spotlight can he?

Apparently Brown is the resident expert on the entire Woods affair and his words of encouragement are bound to help turn his life around. Brown is confident that Woods will win a major after all, what else could anyone want? The confidence of Bermuda's Premier is bound to have a profound and meaningful impact on his life for sure.

Bermuda is going to hell in a hand-basket and what we get from our glorious leader Dr. The Hon. Ewart F. Brown JP MP is a comment on the weekly gossip papers!

Then again what are we supposed to expect?

After all this is the same leader who took the opportunity to make a face and shout "I TOLD YOU SO" about the whole "This too shall pass" affair. He even had the nerve to liken the situation to the loss of his parents! As tragic as that may be it has no place as an excuse for an exercise in supreme arrogance that would be more at home in the realm of African strong men than a supposedly free democracy.

And wait! There's more.

I recently posted on the apparent contradictions presented by the joint Government/Governor announcement and the Premier's own announcement a little bit later. But apparently I had it all wrong! You see the Premier had his release drafted before he and the Governor wrote theirs. So that makes it all OK because he was there first so he's therefore allowed to say whatever he wants. Even if it is a complete contradiction of everything the previous statement stood for.

From the RG Article:

This morning when asked about the conflicting statements Dr. Brown said: “We are closer in terms of working in unison than we have ever been.”

A non-answer if ever I've seen one. Has little relevance to seeming two face approach that is yet to be explained.

Then again it is Dr. Brown. He's shown his colours before and they say a Tiger doesn't change its stripes. October 2010 here we come although given the apparent character of the man I won't allow myself too much,

Wishful Thinking

And Two Steps Back Step Back

Yesterday I attempted to take a joint statement of Government and Government House in good faith. I took it as an important step forward towards cooperation between our elected politicians and our impartial governor on a topic that effects us all. It seemed as though the rhetoric was going to at least be put on the back burner for the challenging weeks ahead as Bermuda recovers from another tragic loss of life due to gang related gun crime.

It would seem I've had a fool made of me and the reasons for this blog's name has become apparent yet again.

Just when I was allowing myself to be positive about a Government that, on the whole, I am generally critical of it turns out that my Wishful Thinking was misplaced. Curtesy of today's Royal Gazette:-

Premier repeats demand for control of Police

As one might imagine head-desk action followed a quick skim of the article this morning with sighs of disbelief to follow. Not only was I dismayed that the whole situation was turning into another political excuse to attack "our colonial masters" but, I was shocked that our Premier would have the gall to turn around an hour after a joint statement with the governor and go off, guns blazing, in an oh so characteristic anti-colonial statement that comes across as nothing more than an attempt to pander to the PLP party faithful.

The first statement contained some very promising language including:

"We are both anxious to do all that we can to help and to encourage the Bermuda Police Service to combat the shocking rise in gun crime. In fact, we discuss policing in Bermuda together, frequently and intensively."

And even a bit of Government back-patting where our Government was praised for its amendments to Police and Criminal Evidence Act and its strong budgetary support for the Police.

The second on the other hand was a whole other story. It contained some absolutely delightful comments, my favourite being:

"Unfortunately, despite being in Government we are hamstrung in our abilities to act. In spite of the fact that the Bermudian taxpayer pays for our Police service, an unelected Governor has full control over operational policing."

So lets break that down just a bit. We, the tax payer, pay taxes to the Government, distributes a portion of those taxes to the Police Service, which uses those funds to investigate crime on the streets, in the office and up on the hill. We depend on this Police Force to remain impartial and fair in its investigations, we depend on it to investigate any crime regardless of the position held by the suspect and we depend on it to let us to sleep safe at night. Call my a cynic but, I wouldn't trust a politician (regardless of political party or ideology) with those jobs and why? Because lives depends on it being done well.

Division of labour makes efficient work and division of powers makes for accountable government. Who watches the government if the watchers are run by those who are committing the (hypothetical) crimes?

Call me colonial but, there is a measure of trust that comes with the position of Governor of Bermuda. Gone are the days where Governor was synonymous with white oligarchy (as much as some would like to suggest it still is). The Governor has little power these days and even operational control of the Police is delegated down the line to the Police Commissioner. The office of Governor is the best place for power over the Police to lie just because it's not democratic! I don't want policing to be decided by votes and political bickering. I want responsibility for policing to exist on a plane above petty political squabbles. It's pure Wishful Thinking to expect such a thing from a politicized police service and while democratic principles may seem so at odds with the current system we cannot afford to allow ourselves the luxury of idealism especially with crime in Bermuda going the way it's going. There are certain things where we must go with what works best and putting the Police Force in the Government's hands is not the best.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Politicizing the police force is one ambitious politician away from a Banana republic. Hyperbole? Perhaps. But, I'd rather not take chances with something so important. It's one situation where we can't afford to blindly move forward with nothing more to hold onto than some airy fairy,

Wishful Thinking

One Small Step

Operational control of the police is one of those back and forth issues that just about everyone must has their opinions on and these opinions are almost inextricably linked to support for independence. As the majority of the population does not support independence (for now) can we assume that they don't support Government control of the police either? Kind of.

But, that's the issue right there! We don't know what the people think, there has been no referendum and no public meetings to discuss the issue. All we have is a pro-independence governing party that at times seems unable to keep Independence and crime as separate issues. Whenever crime comes up it's the Governor's fault and this has never helped anyone.

Recently we've been given notice that Dr. Brown will be pressing for control of the Police at the OTCC meeting in London and I can't help but agree with the Opposition statements in today's Royal Gazette calling for a full debate on the topic. If anything it gives the PLP a chance to present their case and convince the public, it would add legitimacy to the whole affair and make sure all the facts are on the table.

But! Enough of that. There is some good news as well!

As reported by the PLP blog and the Royal Gazette a joint statement from Government and Government House was released today. Cutting out the political back batting and general uselessness it says:

"Some U.S. police officers experienced in anti-drug gang and anti-gun crime will be coming to Bermuda to help the Police and to lend the Bermuda Police Service the benefit of their experience and expertise."

The Government has been pushing for that for a long time it would seem and now at last we have their US experts. The ball is in their court. It's their opportunity to prove their critics wrong.