Cox & Dunkley On Political Record
Premier Paula Cox said over the last 13 years of a PLP Government there has been “push for equality” and a “shifting of the formerly very skewed economic pie,” while OBA Deputy Leader Michael Dunkley said he thinks if you “ask people today if they feel economically secure my bet is they would say no.”
The Premier was responding to a statement in the Royal Gazette in which OBA Deputy Leader Senator Michael Dunkley said: “The PLP has clearly set this progress back 400 years by the way they have governed in the last 13 years.”
Premier Paula Cox said, “This is supposed to be a time for peace and caring and for loving one’s neighbour, but as the leader of this government I refuse to sit by and allow a man bitter with the fact that he sits outside the halls of power to malign this Government and its track record.
“We are where we are for a reason and Bermudians that suffered under 35 years of UBP Government policies focused not on the people, but on business and indirectly the furtherance of a balance of power which saw large family owned businesses get larger, and ensured their future generations status in the community.
“There was a clear divide between the have’s and the have nots,” noted the Premier. “There was a clear divide between the black community and the white community, and there was a clear divide between the business owners and the employees.
“These last 13 years of PLP Government have not yet erased all the ills of the past, but over this time there has clearly been a push for equality and a shifting of the formerly very skewed economic pie.”
“The people I serve are very pleased with the innovations such as the EEZ which has now spread to the eastern and western ends of the island. They are pleased with the Child Day Care allowance benefit. They are pleased with the fact that the Government when time are tight and revenues soft that we saw a need to continue to help business and employees by our concessions.
“They also are pleased we sought to sustain a local banking institution by providing a guarantee, They are also very happy to know that we saw a way to help them to have dignity but allow them to use their pension benefits to get access to a portion of their benefits hardship regulations.”
The Premier said Bermudians do not want “more divisive rhetoric, but, that we want Bermudians of all stripes to come together to address our most vexing problems during these trying times for the global economy.”
“The work is far from finished, and I can tell you the voters I’ve spoken to don’t want rhetoric, and politrix,” concluded the Premier.
“These voters don’t want their representatives to be media hogs. What they want is honesty from their leadership. They want hard work from their leadership, and they want to know that their views, the people’s views, not just those privileged enough to come from a line of business owners, but those hard working men and women struggling to maintain their role as employees, are heard and acted on,” concluded Premier Cox.
OBA Deputy Leader Michael Dunkley replied to the comments saying, “The Premier is required to defend the record of her Government. Her party, after all, has been in control of Bermuda for 13 years and must be held accountable for where the Island is today. It is no surprise that she says the record is one of success.But we think people have a different view.
“Ask people today if they feel economically secure and my bet is they would say no. Ask them if they believe thousands of unemployed is acceptable and my bet is they would say no. Ask them if Bermuda is safer than it once was and my bet is they would say no. Ask them if the cost of Government debt at $190,000 a day (and growing) is a good thing and my bet is they would say no.
Senator Dunkley continued on to say,”Ask them if they believe their children are getting the education they need to succeed and my bet is they would say no. Ask them if Bermuda is heading in the right direction and my bet is they would say no.
“On the fundamentals – economic security, public safety and education – the record of the PLP Government is not one of success. Yes, the Premier can point to pockets of success, but the overall direction is not one of forward momentum. Does the Premier really think, with the exception of Government’s ‘friends’, that the gap between the haves and the have-nots has narrowed?
“The One Bermuda Alliance will turn around Bermuda’s situation with strong and deliberate action to grow the economy, reduce gang shootings and strengthen the classroom experience for our children. 2012 will be an election year and the people will decide if they have confidence in this Government or a new Government to get the Island back on track,” concluded Senator Dunkley.
Well said, Dunkley!
I agree with what Dunkley has said. Paula is looking for brownie points now.
It’s frighning that the Premier would say that an achievement of hers was allowing persons to dip into their retirement funds early to pay their day-to-day expenses. That’s like saying that after you have set a fire in someones back yard, you are giving them permission to fetch water to put it out!
Can we just kick Craig to the curb and make Michael Dunkley OBA leader? Dunkley needs to be Premier.
The OBA should pull an EB and call a special convention to kick Craig to the curb after we win the next election!
I
Dunkley will not be Premier. But if we vote PLP back in power maybe one day Col. Burch or Dr. Brown will…!!!!!
What does this have to do with the article… Nothing…..please focus
After the OBA wins the election Craig will be kick out 12 months later. Craig their only using you to secure votes. We all know what color is behind the secured votes.
The truth be told, I can’t wait until that date. LOLOL
I see u are still living in the Brown era!!!
Yea your right the rest of the party only knows the way it’s heading.
What does this have to do with the article…nothing…focus
Another great statement from the Deputy Leader of the One Bermuda Alliance…
Or is he the Leader…
You got it right, he is the leader. Craig is just there for window dressing.
Why are youbeing so cruel to Canonier? As far as we know, he won the OBA leadership according to the OBA guidelines. Dunkley chose not to run for leader. Canonier then won teh #12 bye -election under the Bermuda guidelines for elections. Mr. Richardson gained the next highest number of votes for the PLP and Mr. Sullivan obtained the least number of votes. Are you insuating that Canonier is the leader for reasons other than his leadership abilities and appeal to the OBA voter base?
If we are indicating a veritable coup, it would be most disheartening for the electorate.
Agreed
Um… I think the implication was that Mr. Dunkley (or ‘establishment Whites’ in general) is the ‘power behind the throne, not that there was any coup or formal replacement of Mr. Cannonier as OBA Leader. It’s a question of whether his Leadership is merely cosmetic/superficial or real.
Apart from Leader, what is he the Shadow Minister of? I honestly can’t remember. Was it Community & Cultural Affairs?
I actually think Cannonier is the Shadow Min of National Security, which makes it all the more interesting that Dunkley responded to Minister Perinchief’s statements.
Like what happened to Alex Scott? And what they have in mind for Paula? No, that’s not what the OBA will do.
Folks need to ignore the PLP trolls who want the UBP back, who want Dunkley running things (which he is not). Canonier is the LEADER and he will become Bermuda’s next Premier and he will remain in that post for the indefinate future….and he will PUT BERMUDA BACK ON TRACK!!!! If Bermudian vote back in PLP they will be pulling this island down…and IB will slowly LEAVE (as some have already done).
A few points:
1) I get what Dunkley is saying, 400 years is a bit extreme though. Certainly we’ve veered off-track and it will take many years for any possible return to prominence. And that will only occur when we work together as a people, and stop paying the blame game. It’s getting old.
2) I have an issue with Premier Cox’s comment about ‘sitting outside the halls of power’. Is that what this is all about? Power? The power is in the hands of the people. The PLP, and the UBP before them, were/are elected by the people of Bermuda, to do the will of the greater community. You are not ‘in power’. The power is, and should always be, in the hands of the people!
Exactly, while she continues to be excrutiatinglyverbose, her comments betray the real sentiment and what drives her and the PLP. Power.
“We’re in charge and we don’t care what you think”.
Don’t let Col. Burch hear you say “we don’t care what you think” otherwise he will be after you before he makes his assault on Premier Cox.
Well said!
Thank you for that. That is one thing that I’m sure most people, including those governing the country does understand- Governments were created to serve the people, not the other way around. Unfortunately that is not how things currently operate.
I hope that the people of this island wake the hell up and realize that Paula Cox and the PLP are no good for this island, and don’t vote for them.
It’s time to go Paula, you and your army of idiots
So true, power to the people!!
I didn’t get what I wanted for xmas.I asked Santa for a election annoucement so I can cast one of many votes to get rid of the PLP!
Halls of power, you mean Halls of kick backs.!
I wonder how many voters understand that the $190,000 per day that Dunkley mentions is only the INTEREST on the debt that the PLP has run up.
To put it in real simple terms, that $190K is $3 per person, including children, that must be extracted from our hides every day/365 days just to pay interest.
It is REAL money, not something somebody else owes.
Some track record the PLP has run up, particularly in the past 5 years.
They have nothing to be proud of. The PLP experiment has been utter fail.
@ Triangle Drifter
I think you may be icorrect. The PLP has made significant investmetn of public funds over the years. As an example, Notwithstanding the overspend at the Dockyard Pier, what do you think would have happened if we did not build the pier?
I don’t think it’s the actual building of the pier that sticks in peoples craw so much, although the decision could be criticised, but rather who and the manner in which it was built.
A no bid contract, to a political crony of the then premier, finances unregulated by the then finance minister, a poor product, and over billing. This also happened in the context of the BHC scandal, the BCC incident and misappropriation of public money.
At the same time, the warning signs were there that we were heading into recession and yet our esteemed brainless leadership continued to spend.
That’s the context to the pier discussion. Mismanagment.
How did you feel after Westgate was built?
@ Sandgrownan
I get the context – what would have happened to tourism without the pier?
Also, please let me know your thoughts about the Westgate facility, completed under the previous government on virtually the same basis. On that occasion, the government gave the contractor a $2m bailout and still did not require them to pay penalties based on the performance bond!
You’re being disingenuous – not even close to being analogous – see comment below
Tourism is f$&ked with or without the pier. You can thank crappy service, the BIU and a myriad of other reasons for that.
You have admitted to being ‘young’ further down …Too young maybe to know exactly what happened with the construction of Westgate and how it was eventually handled in a way to work out the best it could have for the taxpayers ..?
What we’ve seen since under the PLP is micro chump change by comparison.
Tell us how that makes you feel or are you one of the illiterate who still have difficulties deciding who you’ll vote for in the next election ?
PLP is blocking your vision you can’t see beyond your nose!!
Tell me (us) more, please. What is your story about the Westgate construction? You really haven’t done any more to convince me than the initial allegation did, but that there is a dispute here has piqued my interest.
“What we’ve seen with the PLP is micro chump change”?
No. Perhaps it’s you who might be too young or inexperienced to know exactly what has been happening.
Westgate, Cedarbridge (under the UBP) and Berkeley (under the early PLP) were built pretty much using current revenues. They did not need an expansion of debt. You don’t like what happened when Westgate was built, and I don’t like what happened when Berkley was built. We both probably have a point.
But the issue here is that since Brown became premier, the debt has ballooned by from its historical level of about $150m (which it was for years) to over $1,200m. Cash was doled out by the tens of millions to ‘favored’ overseas ‘consultants’ who did nothing for us. Overspends on no-bid contracts became standard practice. The Auditor General was harassed and actually arrested for doing his job. Particular favored contractors grew extremely rich on generous building contracts, and have become powerful people. Certain politicians became very rich very quickly. And the country now has unprecedented unemployment, IB employees and dependents leaving the island in their hundreds, a dwindling tax base, and continuing debt problems. We have been downgraded by debt rating agencies, more than once since Cox was Finance Minister. And the PLP continues to tell anyone who raises an issue about any of this that you’re racially motivated, or you’re ‘making mischief’, or that ‘Bermuda is different’, or they’re just about to build a new hotel in St Georges, or any other lie they can think of.
@Old Enough …
I too am old enough to know and the Westgate ‘bailout’ and cost over run was because of all the change orders by the then UBP Gvt. Basically the Bid was accepted and work started but through numerous changes requested by the then Govt it came in over budget. Much like most of this Govts. Capitol Projects. The then Govt had to pay out to the company due to the project being over budget. Simple Really.
In 1998 the PLP became the Govt and the gloves came off, resulting in our burgeoning debt.
So you obviously think that the company building it should have paid for changes requested by the ‘owners’??
The conversation about the PLP record vs our 400 years of history will be very interesting. As a first point we need to clarify that the PLP can speak of successes as a political party since 1963 and their involvment in many social, political, economic and racial reforms of Bermuda. I think from that the record is clear – they assisted with desegregation, political reform, educational reform and social reforms to name a few. The OBA will have to decide which record they will refer to since the only real reference will be the record of the UBP, from whence all of their MPS (bar one) have come. As we knnow, with the UBP comes a host of ‘past sins’ that the OBA is trying to distance themselves from, thus the change in name.
When we add to their history the fact that Bermuda was deliberately run for the benefit of the few in many aspects (i.e. non blacks) and some of the persistent institutional challenges that exist today, it is difficult for Dunkley to realistically challenge what the PLP has done since 1998. To be clear, the PLP record is not ‘without spot or wrinkle’ but there are many successes that must be celebrated.
Whilst many think it a minor accomplishment, I will forever remember that we finally have the oft celebrated ‘each man one vote and each vote of equal value’. This was ushered in under the PLP umbrella. I will not rehearse the litany of other social successes under the PLP including the elimination of death taxes on the primary home, the improvement of many of the elder care residences, improved home ownership for Bermudians etc.
MP Dunkley’s references are primarily economic, which is understood given his reference point but that can not be the only measure for the voters. My only point in that area is how does he explain the reality that black Bermudians still earn less than their white counterparts, even though the blacks have more education. How does he rectify the fact blacks were unable to buy houses in certain areas or work in certian jobs (including the Civil Service)? With the housing, the historic transfer of wealth from generation to generation is irreversible. To their credit, teh PLP has vastly improved the supply of housing.
Many will accuse me of using the race card, which is completely ridculous because my references are entirely factual given our 400 hundred year history – Dunkley wants to reference our 400 hundred year history!! The good, the bad and the ugly.
As we move forward we have to work in more unison to ensure that the average Bermudian feels that their contribution is maximised in terms of employment.
Political silly season YES. Let’s do our best to work in teh best interests of everyone on the eve of 2012!!
I take issue with your comments on housing. The PLP’s interference in the local housing market has been an utter disaster, sucking liquidity out of the local economy, stagnating real estate sales and pushing many ordinary Bermudians into negative equity situations. I know, I’m one of them.
You see, now this is a valid political difference on which I hope the OBA runs. Just be honest and say “we want to go back to ridiculous prices for houses and an overheated market. we believe in the free market system and (to borrrow from Ron Paul) smaller government”. Finally a difference between the Parties. Hooray !!
At least you are fortunate enough to at least buy a house. Many of us young educated Bermudians that have a good job still cannot afford a house. I know, I’m one of them.
Now you’re talking. That’s a real issue.
So, according to the PLP the way to do this is to interfere in the market – drag everyone down rather than the rest up?
I thought the PLP had affordable housing built for the people of Bermuda. Loughlands, South Side and the now empty condos on South Shore in Warwick.
I’m sure they would, but at what cost to the economy as a whole?
Or are they at heart just filthy free market capitalists like the rest of us!!
save up. I did. And it was a struggle too.
So what. Grow the hell up. I saved up for 20 years and was 40 years old when my wife and I bought our first house. Try working and saving instead of whining like a baby and expecting others to give things to you.
You people expecting handouts and free houses make me sick.
And I think the Loughlands homeowners and Harbourside Village homeowners would differ in opinion.
see comment above – posted in the wrong space
How come Craig couldn’t say all this?
Good question – it seems that Cannonier is (has been) awfully quiet in somce of the OBA public statements – I am surprised he is not leading from the front – or is Dunkley ‘jumping the gun’. Remember also that Richards called Canonier a colt that would never be captain.
Craig is a goner. Everyone knows it but him.
I don’t think he is gone just yet, give him time to un- shy himself, at the moment he reminds me a bit of Premier cox during the Brown era, ” a frog in headlights”
That comparison doesn’t gel with me – under Dr Brown, Ms Cox was the Deputy. It wasn’t her place. In this analogy, Cannonier is the leader. It IS his place. Dunkley is Deputy.
“Cannonier is awfully quiet – not leading from the front…”?
Rubbish. Graig is out there making statements all the time. Today, as reported by another publication, he has made a statement calling for the premier to address Perinchief’s remarks about international business.
Perhaps you need to read a bit more widely so that you’re not so uninformed.
Finally, Princess Paula says something that emphasizes this Government’s considerable record. The record is something to run on and she needs to remind people just what has been achieved. Dunkley’s comments are purely economic because the UBP/OBA have no social policy credentials. Every programme to help ordinary people before 1998 was forced upon them in government (except mandatory health insurance which is self interest at its height, they own the inusrance companies of course)and they’ve opposed them since 98. The real question is “where, oh where is Cannonier?” Or perhaps THIS IS the real leader talking?
You might not agree with my view, but I think government’s primary responsibility is to create a robust economy through building up business. Bermuda’s 400+ charities can work on the social ills, if they had the money to do so. But that’s just my opinion.
I respect that opinion as a genuine poltical philosophy. I don’t entirely disagree save that I don’t think its the Government’s “primary” responsibility. I believe that Government has a responsibility to lead, to create an atmosphere conducive to business success but also to use the power of the State to empower the disenfranchised, create opportunities for the left-out and to provide for those who cannot help themselves. Hands-up and not just handouts.
Agree with all of that, and the plp have failed with all of that .
Craig said nothing because he is just the up front leader ask anyone in the OBA him and Dunkley will soon be in the ring
I do not think Dunkley and Canononier will be in the ring… I think it has been agreed that if the O.B.A. do win the next election !!! that Michael Dunkley will be voted in as the leader…. the O.B.A. had to have a black person as their potential leader….to gain votes from the black voters..and we voters know what is going on !!!!Craig in my opinion is a nice guy that is being used by the O.B.A.
‘We are where we are because for 35 years ‘Bermudians’ (read , blacks) suffered under the UBP ..’
So this is what ‘suffering’ looks like …
For 35 years blacks ..
Moved en mass into the public service sector
Started their own businesses
Started buying their own property as never before
Started sending more and more of their children to overseas education
Travelled extensively at the drop of a hat
Bought new and large cars regularly
Dressed to the nines
Ate out regularly
etc ,
Yep , we really suffered , big time.
Those that did suffer set themselves up to fail with their poor life choices. Their fault and theirs alone. Nothing to do with the colour of their skin or the UBP plain and simple .
@ WTH
I trust you do not believe what you wrote. Do you remember segregation, separated races for schools, rules against blacks in the Civil Service, restrictions on where blacks could buy houses, Portuguese changing their names to assist in assimilation in the white community, the plus vote for land owners, etc etc.
Dunkley more than most is aware of the overt racism faced by our majority black Bermudians in the recent past.
Dunkley has chosen a no win battle if he in anyway tries to compare the last 13 years of Bermuda’s existence with the prior 400 years. Even today, we have blacks earning less than their white counter parts even though they have higher levels of education.
Give all a break and enjoy the New Year celebrations.
race card…..nothing else to offer… Pathetic!
“Uh…hello….HELLO…. Is that Vote for me & Hmmmmmm? Yes?….. This is the 50s & 60s calling. Where have you 2 been???? We finally found you. Listem….It is time for you to come back where you belong & let these folks in the 21st century go on in a forward direction. You 2 are dinosaurs & the 50s & 60s are not relevant to 2011 forward. Those folks have their own current problems. They don’t have time to be living in the past. Come quietly now.”
Ask Craig how those caucus meetings are going. When was the last time you heard anyone not connected to the old UBP say something on behalf of the OBA? You can pretend that the beast has changed but I betcha Craig has found out quick, fast and in a hurry that the UBP we know and love isn’t dead. He is John Swan all over, right down to the street walking and shaking every hand. We’ve seen this movie before.
You’re really getting boring.
By the way, Zane is plotting with Ewart to overthrow Paula. Discuss that.
@VforM
Thank you for not starting your diatribe with the usual condescending ”All”
And yes , I do believe what I wrote and so do a whole lot of other people here who aren’t living in denial or with their heart on their sleeve. Thankfully there are still a few people on this island who can see past the b/s and history revisionists .. Like your opening two sentences .. You do realise that your suggesting that the UBP was the government from 1020 to 1959 or do you not ?
As the youngsters say , ‘FAIL’ .. again
’1920 ‘
I would like to know what is equal about fining Bermudians married to non-Bermudians. And really, the gap between haves and have nots has been narrowed? I can’t take any more of the spin this government keeps throwing out there.
Another failing of the current government. The PLP ..bringing failure into your homes on a daily basis
Craig it’s time for you to stand up! Your the leader of the party. We want to hear from you pleasssseee!!!!!
I find it interesting how Dunkley criticizes the government record but knows that if the OBA are elected they will rid Bermuda of all social programs that benefit the ordinary Bermudian. It is very easy to balance a budget. Cut civil service jobs and cut social programs. Or if the OBA have a different method let them speak it.
I fear that with Dunkley at the helm, and let’s be honest, he IS at the helm of the OBA, he will want to take us back to those good ole days…but remember those good ole days were only good for some, and most of them looked like him.
Why don’t the OBA just replace Cannonier and elevate Dunkley! Cannonier may as well be the silent Opposition leader.
Well, social programs are already cut and we know the civil service is bloated. The issue is that this is a problem of the plp’s making.
Oh please Milkman. “ask people today if they feel economically secure and my bet is they would say no.”
Ask ANYONE in ANY country right now, ESPECIALLY Europe, if they feel economically secure and the answer is NO.
Disingenuous
but true.
Wrong, I spoke to folks in Europe today and checked
Exactly and would you rather have Stephen Todd, former Bermuda Chamber of Commerce President, in charge or the befuddled muddleheaded Milkman?
Other than Racist Rolfe and Burchy the PLP has a pretty strong line up this time…
The OBA will cut social programs that benefit the ‘ordinary’ Bermudian??
you mean like;
Cutting funding for the Salvation Army shelter?
Cutting Mirrors funding?
Cutting the Sunshine League funding?
No more Free Daycare for all Bermudians?
No more free public transportation?
No more free Bermuda college?
Back to the good old day?
Like:
Few murders and no gun crime to speak of?
A balanced budget and no multi-billion dollar debt?
A growing economy?
Oh, how I long for those days.
The OBA never would have even instituted half of these measures becuase they dont appeal to their core.
Like I said, it is easy to balance the budget, but i guarantee those that will be hurting the most will be the ones that need the assistance the most.
Exactly. The good old days were good for a few.
The OBA core is very different from the past. It is Bermudians for Bermuda and Bermudians. Don’t belive the PLP desperation as Paula wants POWER. The OBA want Bermuda to work for Bermudians. That means YOU.
Oh please. DO you all remember last year marching on Parliament becuase you wanted Paula in charge and to get rid of Dr Brown. Now all of a sudden she is the anti-Christ. It is so disingenuous on your behalf. It is not Paula that wants power.
It is Dunkley and the remains of the UBP (now the OBA) that want THEIR power back. Paula has never been about the power. You can disagree with her financial policies all you like, but don’t insult her integrity. And I can tell you one more thing – if the OBA wants to make this a battle between Cox’s integrity and Dunkley…that is not a battle they will win. But bring it on if you like.
You got it. There is no memory here. Only in Bermuda could the UBP’s former treasurer be appointed an “independent” Senator. Not one media outlet, not one politician looked into the guy’s history beyond the Government House press release. Only in Bermuda.
Only in Bermuda could 2 MP individuals, Burch and Brown smuggle 4 Chinese from Cuba, without the consent of the Bermuda public, not to mention the Governor. Dictatorship at its best.
Corr. 2 Government officials.
Those are the ones hurting now.
Have you ever heard the phrase “Save for a rainy day”.
Had the present government put money aside when the times were good, we probably would not be in this mess.
Some of them are ones the UBP implemented and were cut by the PLP.
And some of them were “promises” made by the PLP and never actually instituted at all. Empty lies.
Any idiot can get up there and promise stuff all day long. Actually delivering what you promise is the difficult thing. That’s what the PLP suck at.
You all sound like a bunch of idiots including the milk man who wakes every morning and runs to the media.
SMH… I wonder if any of those above who made derogatory comments about my mate Micheal Dunkley have actually met the man? Have you sat down and had a conversation with him? Obviously not because if you had you would all change your tunes. Consider this… the man has more to lose by being involved in politics than he does to gain. I’m sure he could keep his head down… Fly below the radar and collect that milk money $$$$ but he chooses to take the harder road for the betterment of all Bermuda!
well said
For Dunkley to make those comments it is laughable. Yes times are very hard the difference is that some of us are used to hard times, we value hard work to get what we want and need. We appreciate when things are better and assistance for some problems we may have and hand ups. When the math is weighed the PLP have provided a way for many people and have been the Party they set out to be.
Dunkely knows full well the benefit of the people under the PLP leadership as his family and the families of many of his associates have directly benefited off of the hard ships placed on many to profit a few. Many of those things no longer take place because those doors were sealed.
There is still work to be done some things redone do to this hit we are facing. Let’s get it done. People like Dunkely make these comment to prey on the vulnerable for their much needed votes. They want to constantly remind them of their problems while misleading them about the cause behind them. What ever negativity they can use they do so for their advantage.
Yes we are in debt but much money was spent to benefit the people and many have benefited but speaking on the debt, the milk lovers club would focus solely on the cost overruns on capital projects. Wake up and see it for what it is. Dunkley wants the power and that is why he is chuming up the water.
Please OBA Dunkley come with some solutions and stop distracting. Premier Cox is a strong leader and she makes her case. I remember many OBA supporters signs on Cabinet calling for the PLP the put her in the leadership, now you play her down. Give up the garbage its not healthy.
The PLP have “provided a way for many people”? Would that include the 3,000 or so currently unemployed? Cox and her cronies are sitting there saying “let them eat cake”. They think everything is wonderful. Obviously, for the political elite with their new luxury cars and first class travel, everything is great.
@Red Flag-
What benefits?
And who benefitted?
More spin maybe!
Thanks for the support Clinton . I had a good laugh reading the posts from those trying to divide the One Bermuda Alliance. Good try but you are way off base. Family Man thanks for showing the PLP shortcoming with some of the social programs. For the record the One Bermuda Alliance understands fully the need for any government to be fiscally responsible and also have a clear social conscience , if there are some who try to make people believe otherwise you are wrong.
Finally to don ‘t like choc milk…your attack the messenger comments will not deter me from serving the people of Bermuda, in fact they spur me to work harder to bring understanding, tolerance and respect in our discourse and that one day hope will trump any message of hate.
Happy New Year to you all, I wish you all the best in 2012 and hope that you are happy and healthy.
Michael, please challenge Craig at the next possible opportunity. He is weak and a do nothing. We need your leadership.
Ewart Brown kicked Jennifer Smith out after the 2003 election. We can do the same to Craig! I hope you are thinking this way. It is very important.
Wont happen – OBA think they need a black leader to win. Isn’t that why Mr Dunkley withdrew from the Leadership battle and left it to Cannonier and Richards?
That is part of the mentality problem on this little rock. To many it is all about the leader of the party. That is the way it is in the PLP. A virtual Dictatorship. Well, how is that method working out for us? Is Bermuda better off now than 1998. Easy two letter word answer to that one.
Hopefully the OBA will operate with its leader much more like a CEO, having much influence, but not having absolute power over how the MPs, particularly the backbench vote.
In other words a much more inclusive in practice Government, rather than simply talk as we have now.
Well said Triangle – it is a “party”, not a “person” that can make the difference.
Mr Dunkley, can we assume then that if the OBA wins that the salvation army will have increased funding and that all these social programs will have increased funding? Shall we also assume that this will be done in combination with a balanced budget and with investment in infrastructure? Can we assume that tourism will immediately turn around and that all international companies will start hiring in droves? The education system will be world class? St George’s will have an immediate turn around in its economy. In fact Bermuda on a whole will all of a sudden have a total change in fortunes.
This may sound satirical but I am serious. You blame the PLP for every single problem facing Bermuda but anyone with common sense knows this is not the case. But if your theory is correct then a change in govt will automatically correct all of these issues, correct?
sigh, you’re describing what Bermuda used to be like. Before the PLP were in charge.
Rick Rock,
I think not. When the UBP/OBA were in power before there were little to no investment in social programs nor was there a concerted effort to make a dent in the housing struggle. They ruled under the mantra ‘survival of the fittest’, without recognizing that all is not equal and the starting line is not equally drawn.
And now it’s “survival of the political elite”.
Salvation Army funding? Cut by PLP.
Social Programmes? Cut by PLP.
Tourism? How many hotels have closed since 1998? Is the number about 90? (By the way, how is the promised Park Hyatt coming along?). And now you have an ex-UBP leader as the minister.
IB? Systematically frozen out by the PLP in a xenophobic hissy fit.
Education? No continuity and nothing achieved in 13 years. How many ministers in 13 years?
Tourism, Unemployment and crime are worse now than in living memory, thanks to the short sighted, selfish, stupid policies of the government. They haven’t “shifted” the economic pie, as Cox describes it. They have dramatically reduced the size of the pie.
Dunkley is great at “ignoring” the real hard truth. He always dismisses anything that he is incapable of providing a real true answer too or wants to escape from. He often would say (1) one is trying to bring down the OBA or (2) seeking to deter him from serving. That is getting old and sounds like a real escape to “never-ever land”. Dunkley be honest and recall the facts in the report. The past report on the UBP recommended that they should:
1. UBP should Change their name, thus they became the OBA
2. Appoint a black leader to attract the 20% of the black votes for a win.
3. Cabinet members will remain the same…..no change there except a new leader and 1 new senator.
So they put into place 2 of the recommendations from this report. DO not be fooled by UBP/OBA. Craig is no more than a “figurehead”, for the OBA. He is a nice guy, but not clueless on the facts. He does not have the knowledge and training or experience under his belt as of yet to debate or respond to various political issues. Lets see a debate with him and Premier Cox……not likely he will be afraid to do such. Hold on Craig,….Dunkley will move you aside soon….. Craig will remain silence on hard issues, and speak only on soft issues.
I’m a black Bermudian and I consider myself pretty sensible so let me add my two cents. As far as who they put in place as leader, the OBA is caught between a rock and a hard place. If they put a white person at the helm, people will say it proves they’re the same old UBP with a white superiority point of view. When they place a black at the helm, people say he’s a puppet with a white behind the scenes pulling his strings. They just can’t win.
Moving on, I wonder what goes through peoples’ minds that they just don’t get that the PLP is ruining this country. Yes, it’s nice to have a black party in power and it does instill a sense of pride in the black community but pride doesn’t pay the bills. The only ones benefiting from a PLP gov’t are the fat cats (figuratively and literally) in the PLP Gov’t! What have they done for this country? They spent half their reign whining about what the UBP did and blaming their own failures on the UBP. They spent money like crazy, believing that there would always be more where that came from, and now that the well is running dry they decide to put the brakes on!
I’m surprised that the media doesn’t bring up the famous Paula Cox quote that ‘we’ll know we’re in a recession when it feels like we’re in a recession.’ She accused Bob Richards of fear mongering and made NO preparations for the imminent recession. Does it feel like we’re in a recession now, Ms. Cox?
We as blacks need to be reminded that with all the craziness going on in Bermuda right now that we are the ones suffering the most, yet we’re the ones who foolishly vote the PLP in time and time again. Most white folks will be o.k. (for the most part) no matter who runs things. We’re not hurting them by hanging on to an incompetent government and relishing how we can rub their noses into the injustices of the past. Yes, they made tons of mistakes, but they made plenty of good decisions that benefited us all here in Bermuda. They put into place social programmes to help those in need. They built tons of low-cost housing-the same housing the PLP had no problem callously tossing young mothers and children out of. They made Bermuda a financial powerhouse-allowing us all, blacks and whites-to rent out our homes to expats and get our mortgages paid. Every time we all-blacks and whites- leave this island to go to the States and receive U.S. customs clearance here in Bermuda, that is all the UBP’s doing. The list of things that we take for granted that the UBP put into place goes on and on.
People think of the bad the UBP did but they made this the great country it is today. The PLP has NO clue how to get us out of this mess. One more term of them in power and Bermuda will be permanently ruined beyond repair. We as blacks need to take emotion out of this and make mature, sensible decisions that will impact future generations. We can’t leave this mess for our poor children and their children to fix. This needs to be fixed now, and the PLP clearly cannot do it. Yes, the OBP contains many of the old UBP members but does that make it a bad thing? Based on what I’ve said, it doesn’t matter because the UBP isn’t the evil ogre people try and make them out to be. They made us great, and with their experience helping the OBA, we can be great once again. The OBA is the only hope for us right now-PLEASE do the right thing when the election comes around and just give them a chance!
black ib employee $120,000 + bonus (maybe)
white ib employee $200,000 + shares + training + bonus + inclusion in management and strategy
yes, the ubp and its culture and ideas have built bermuda and maintained the same racial colonial class structure, moreso now with ib, we replaced 40 thieves with jim, bob, mike from utah, toronto and london who only give jobs to their friends who we gladly sign up for work permits.
the ubp lesson of the timid house slave is primary reference material and followed to the letter by Cog and her inner group of followers so what are you all worried about?
Where do your statistics come from? I’m black IB employee and earn exactly the same as my white colleague (and schoolfriend!) This doesn’t ring true to me – and if it is true then surely that points to the PLP having done nothing to redress inequality like they claim SMH
@ Politely Pompous says:
Does it tell you anything that “Whites tend to stick together and Vote only in one direction?” The OBA/UBP were not a perfect government and made many mistakes during their time as government. They failed to put into place programmes and social agenda programmes to benefit blacks during their leadership for over 30 years. Blacks continued to vote them in for more than 30 years despite the errors they made. Maybe if the UBP had worked in the interest of Blacks during the leadership, we might be in better social position today. If the UBP had put programmes into place, today “young black men may not feel isolated and fighting one another”. These types of issues do not evolve over night, they take years to develop.
SO why should “Blacks not stick together?” Yes the PLP have made some errors and mistakes during 13 years, but this does not mean one should not continue to support them. But, the PLP has also put some excellent programmes in place to benefit all. The money spent by this government was on the building of our infrastructure and social agenda. This is something that the UBP failed to do and chose not to do. UBP did not spent money on the people of this country and black persons in-particular. So while the UBP remain sober, its black people suffered. This is all the more reason to support them, to help them move in the direction that works for the benefit of all Bermuda. While do whites tend to vote in only one direction, and never support the PLP? Why must Blacks always be the ones to step across the floor and assist the whites? We are the “swing voters”, not the white population. They are like glue, and stay together. There must be some movement by them to unite Black and Whites (Bermuda) together. Blacks do it everyday, like you a OBA/UBP supporter.
Lastly, today statistical data clearly indicates that blacks still earn less than whites, despite having higher educational qualification….how far have we really come?????
@ specialgirl4you:
Your last paragraph highlights what many of us have been saying – the PLP has not benefitted their primary support base at all – not economically, and, with the funding cuts to just about every program designed to assist the underserved (primarily the PLP’s support base)except the prisons, they have shown themselves to be even worse than the UBP.