Premier/Ministers To Host Town Hall

February 27, 2012

Premier Paula Cox along with various Government Ministers will host a town hall meeting tomorrow [Feb.28] to discuss the 2012/13 National Budget.The meeting takes place at the Berkeley Institute Auditorium at 7.30 p.m.

The Premier will be joined by the following Cabinet Ministers at Tuesday’s meeting: Deputy Premier and Minister of Transport Derrick Burgess, Minister of Education Dame Jennifer Smith, Minister of Economy, Trade & Industry Patrice Minors, Minister of Youth, Families & Sports Glenn Blakeney, and Minister of Environment, Planning &Infrastructure Strategy Marc Bean.

A spokesperson said, “Tomorrow’s meeting will be an opportunity for members of the community to come and hear firsthand from the Premier and Cabinet Ministers about what Budget 2012/13 entails and what it means for them.

“The public will also have a chance to engage in one on one dialogue with the Government Ministers regarding any queries they have about this year’s Budget report.

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Comments (50)

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  1. alicia says:

    so, where is the minister of health going to be? His budget goes up by 11% but they’re going to cap subsidy payments… he needs to be there in order to address questions as to how this will be implemented

    • pepper says:

      Zane, in a lot of Bermudians opinions has his eye on being the next leader of the P.L.P. and guess what he will not be a cog in the wheel….

  2. Rockfish#2 says:

    Attending these meetings is a waste of time,as we all know what the Ministers will say.
    I hope the candidates will be able to answer the tough questions when they show up on my doorstep!

  3. Waste of time and money. This is nothing more than electioneering. No one will ask tough questions because they will be personally attacked and belittled by Govt ministers who have shown time and time again, that they are only interested in keeping their own high paying jobs while making Bermudians suffer the consequences of their poor decisions and unwelcoming, arrogant behaviour.

    • pepper says:

      Rocky Skink, you are so right..Paula Cox will go down in bermuda history as the worst finance minister Bermuda has ever had .
      I hate to say it ..

  4. pebblebeach says:

    Another Cog Festival…

  5. Rummy says:

    And that is why they hold them in strongholds and black area’s.
    What is wrong with holding them at the avenues in/on Front Street, City Hall, Paget Hall…………………….et al.

    Look, were holding meetings……..yeah on the way home.

    Dumb and dumber………………………………

    Have one at Jonestown……………………..koolaide………………………..

    • they have held them on front street and also in all areas of Bermuda
      lets keep race out of this..

      • Rummy says:

        St.Geo, you jest right?

        The PLP have played the race card for so long we now have 53 cards in the deck.

        And, all four jokers are wild.

        • amen says:

          What you scared to go into those “black area’s” or something? What an ignorant comment.

        • So tired says:

          The only thing wild is your illiterate mind…go have another drink Rummy!

    • Law & Order says:

      Last year the first budget town hall was held at number 1 shed, which is located on Front Street.

      • The nitty gritty says:

        So what where and when they hold town hall meetings on the budget- they obviously never listened to the taxpayers turning up, unless it was they who advised the plp to triple the national debt ,overspend by 100 million a year, bankrupt the country morally and financially,make us a laughing stock in front of all these highly successful foreign companies, and present dubious accounts to the Auditor General year after year(in between arresting them!) It is all MOOT folks..Pensions are broke, tourism is broke, the Government is way past broke and we will all be broke if they get back in. Where there is nothing, expect nothing.

    • Ryan says:

      I’m not a PLP sympathizer, but… since when is the Berkeley Institute a ‘black area?’ It’s just a convenient, well-outfitted auditorium within a school. It’s not even in a bad location.

      I doubt race has anything to do with it.

  6. Trident says:

    “And that is why they hold them in strongholds and black area’s.”

    wow. Vote PLP

  7. Barracuda says:

    Vote PLP , not me .

  8. MinorMatters says:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvz8tg4MVpA&feature=related

    Before preparing the Budget and her speech, I wish the Premier had listened to this clip with the former Prime Minister of Britain, explaining the concept that is lost on my Government, that there is no such thing as the public purse as it is provided by the Bermuda Taxpayers and that it is incumbent on the Government to spend it wisely. To quote Gregory Leigh, “Tax should be viewed as a form of capital injection provided by the taxpayers in the hope that the Executive will add value and increase tangible and non-tangible assets that we can all share — not an infinite stream of income to be spent for little or no lasting benefit.”

    • Specialgirl4you says:

      Heck, UK are such deep debt, what can they do to help or assist Bermuda? They have a lot to deal with themselves. Just last week, it was reported that UK has borrows so much money, and are back in a recession.

      • Legal Reasons? says:

        please, stop comparing to the UK. this is total ignorance on your part.

        the UK are the 6th or 7th economy in the world according to the different rankings… they can borrow as much as they want…

        Bermuda meanwhile?

        • Please says:

          How ignorant. The size of the economy is irrelevant. Its the country’s credit rating that determines its ability to borrow.

        • Ryan says:

          Really ignorant on your part, Legal Reasons.

          What does it matter the size of the United Kingdom’s economy?

          • Strange says:

            Maybe the simple ability to generate enough revenue to pay outstanding obligations as opposed to simply relying on a single pillar to uphold their entire economy.

            Not that ignorant when you think about it.

      • Mad Dawg says:

        Really SpecialGirl, the UK has borrowed so much it’s in a recession?
        Can that happen then?

        It’s just that on Friday in the Budget speech, Paula Cox said that debt is ‘neither good nor bad’. She said it’s not a problem to keep borrowing and borrowing and getting more and more into debt.

        Are you suggesting she might have been misleading us?

  9. Cancer says:

    Just the “Cog” trying to sure up votes that’s all – wish she wud call the election so we can be rid of this flip flop PLP folks.

  10. Politely Pompous says:

    I am not interested in hearing what Paula & Co.have to say. I’m just eagerly biding my time to election day to vote them all out!

    So long,Paula-nobody is buying what you’re selling anymore! Note to PLP: YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED!!!

  11. C..ing is B..Leaving says:

    Is Lavern goin be dere ?

    • Triangle Drifter says:

      Of course, & with her notepad too, taking names of anyone who breaks the 11th Commandment & speaks out against the PLP.

  12. Cancer says:

    Damm PLP upset a lot of people!

    • D-reader says:

      Lot more of you gonna be upset after the election.people clearly see all the boa seem to be concerned about is money…and business with little to no concern for the less fortunate of society.

      • My two cents says:

        D-reader, you DO realize that the government doesn’t have any money so the OBA is smart to be concerned about this as we all should be.

        “with little to no concern for the less fortunate of society.”

        And you DO realize that with no money left the current government can not afford to take care of these problems either.

        Think a little deeper than free handouts for the seniors and poor.

  13. Rick Rock says:

    I’m hoping someone on the panel will tell us how things are going on the Space Business.

    A lot of time, money, and luxury overseas trips were invested in this in the past year to two and I think they owe us an explanation of how successful that endeavor has been.

    In September last year they said “a lot of jobs could be created” in the business if they pursued it. They also said it would become “another major economic pillar for the economy”.

    Were they just saying that to justify the expense of first-class travel vacations to shuttle launches and the Paris Satellite Conference, or is it actually turning into a viable business?

    It was not mentioned in the Budget at all. My suspicion is that it has fizzled out, like most of the crackpot idiot PLP schemes. But let’s hear about it. Prove me wrong.

  14. My two cents says:

    What i have noticed as of late is suddenly the PLP and its supporters are whining about the opposition complaining about everything they do.
    Well people, it works both ways. If the current government would stop making excuses for their poor decisions past and present and admit they messed up and need help, then the opposition would probably be less critical and more helpful. But we have a government that admits to doing nothing wrong and an opposition that will continue to complain. Who will make the first move to get out of the stagnant state we are in. Every time the current government whines about what the opposition says:
    1) It appears they don’t have anything better to waste time/money on
    2) It appears they don’t understand the urgency of our problems

    Put your big girl panties on and GET TO WORK fixing our problems.

    • The nitty gritty says:

      If you all remember, the PLP were always the bridesmaid, never the bride for 30 odd years and yes they complained incessantly as the loyal opposition and they were good at it too! That is what an opposition is for, to provide checks and balances, to be a watchdog for the people’s purse.
      Trouble is when the shoe is on the other foot, the Govt dont like it one bit! There has never been a more important time since 1609 for an Govt opposition to exist and even then they couldnt stop the tsunami of schemimg, sleight of hand, under the table behind the back skullduggery!
      MINUS – $1,340,000.00 DR and put that all in brackets like the Auditor General has had to for the last 13 years.
      Trident! what was the sum total national debt on the day before the PLP came to be in charge of the cookie jar in 1998?

  15. Triangle Drifter says:

    I assume Koolaide & a Cox language converter/simplifiers will be hannded out at the door.

  16. Trident says:

    Barack obama’s eneminies say that he had made the US morally and financially bankrupt.

    barack obama killed bin laden but his enemies dont give him credit they say bush’s waterboarding policy was actually responsible for killing bin laden

    when obama wins the election this year, 50%of us voters will happy with it, 50 will be angry, 20 % will be livid.

    no matter what barack or the democrats do there will be people who will never vote for them they see the democrats as anti business and clueless on the economy and believers in tax and spend policies which just increases future debt

    in bermuda there are about 25 – 30 % of the voters who will never vote plp for racial reasons that they hide beneath the guise of financial rhetoric

    for the anti plp faction who are stuck in the past and want desperately to see the plp fail bcuz it will prove some racists sentiment that blks cant run a modern economy – they’ve said it from the beginning

    there’s a reason why the call the PLP an experiment that failed, they never say the UBP was an experiment and we know that failed – experiment is code word for deep held racism

    if they dont want to come along, leave them, they will only hold progress back, plp need plp voters to vote for them. end of story.

    when posters here say they voted plp last time but will never do so again. The are lying, they never voted plp. they voted for an electrifying dr. brown who was smeared in make believe scandals but wont vote for paula cox. doesn’t add up. its a lie. (if ur blk and successfulm you dont have to convicted in a court of law, just eh court of their public opinion)

    VOTE PLP

    REJECT OBA/UBP/BDA/40THIEVES/Front Street

    • 32n64w says:

      “when obama wins the election this year, 50%of us voters will happy with it, 50% will be angry, 20% will be livid.”

      50+50+20 = 120%

      That’s PLP math for you.

    • sandgrownan says:

      Racist. You are irrelevant.

    • The nitty gritty says:

      trident- you should join the new club on Parliament street, it’s called The Thirty Six Thieves Club and they are having a special on memberships this month.

  17. Trident says:

    If bermuda is 70% black why is there no black owned newspaper, major black owned bank, black owned TV station, black owned supermarket, black owned car dealership? in 2012. Why. They will tell you its the govt’s fault. It is not.

    Blacks make up just 10% of teh pop. yet they have all of those things.

    even south africa voted in a black govt. before bermuda did.

    progress don’t digress

    • I would suggest that Bermuda is steadily progressing towards 3rd World Country status under PLP leadership. If that’s the type of progress that you want, then keep voting them back into power. For me, I think it is time to vote for the other side and give them a chance to bat. If they don’t do good job, then I will vote against them at next election. I think it is health to change Governments regularly as it keeps politicians on their toes which I think should lead to better governance.

  18. Trident says:

    If bermuda is 70% black why is there no black owned newspaper, major black owned bank, black owned TV station, black owned supermarket, black owned car dealership? in 2012. Why. They will tell you its the govt’s fault. It is not.

    Blacks make up just 10% of the US pop. yet they have all of those things.

    even south africa voted in a black govt. before bermuda did.

    progress don’t digress

  19. Cancer says:

    @trident – everytime I try to give you props you disappoint me. As stated above 50+50+20 does not equate to 100. Your making it seem like you went to the same math school as “The Cog” lol !!! Your way over budget!! PLP for sure!

  20. Trident says:

    sigh, 20% of the 50 numbskull, it is generally considered that 60% of republicans are moderate – conservative on economics – not so much on social issues, and 40% (ie the 20 of the 50) are social conservatives, the ones who really hate obama and think he’s a muslim, kenyan socilaist, etc – get it, bye

  21. Cancer says:

    Now that really clears it up even more Trident!!! Lol !!!!!

    • Victor says:

      Trident,

      You must be a young guy who’s been around a lot of trash talk – here’s a little history for you.

      Bermuda has had several “Black” owned newspapers through the years. The Bermuda Recorder edited by Mr. Ira Philips and The Bermuda Times owned by Dr. Ewart Brown and edited by Ms. Laverne Furbert immediately come to mind. The recorder was a well thought of weekly and I am not sure why it eventually folded. I gather the Times folded due to financial issues, not an entirely unexpected outcome as its slant was a somewhat off the wall without much hard news. Regardless, today newspapers are folding right left and center – they are very much yesterday’s medium. On the other hand, e-ventures such as Bernews are likely the future. I do know that Bernews was founded by a black journalist but I do not know who presently owns as apparently that information cannot be found in the public domain – there were rumours late last year that Dr. Brown himself had invested in it but I do not know how true that is.

      With regard to the banks, historically for most of the 20th Century, the two main banks were publicly traded, i.e anybody could buy shares in them. As a legacy, there were probably more white shareholders than black but I think if a study were to be done, this legacy has proabably been evening itself out. Mind you, BNTB shares are about the last thing anybody would want to be stuck with. There was a black bank in Bermuda in the early 1970s; it was founded by Bermuda Provident Investments Ltd (a licensed deposit company), a group of black investors who brought in Barclays as their partner. Bermuda Provident Investments was wound up when it was discovered that directors had run off with all the cookies in the cookie jar iu.e the depositors funds; the only thing of any value were the Bank Shares which were sold on – that bank today is Bermuda Commercial Bank. Interestingly, the black depositors in Bermuda Provident Investments were paid back the value of their investments by the UBP government while the mostly white investors in Rego and Walter L Frith deposit companies were not when those firms collapsed.

      As regards TV stations, ZFB was founded by the same Mr. Ira Philips as mentioned above. It was an independent station for several years until financial considerations forced it to merge with the (then) publicly trade Bermuda Broadcasting Company.

  22. Trident says:

    umm…okay…

  23. pepper says:

    what is going on in bda ?