I am sorry to see Mrs. Tee’s shop is closing. It was a great place to get Bermuda gifts for friends when I travelled overseas. I, and my non-Bermudian friends, especially liked the prints of her Bermuda paintings and the pink sand Christmas tree ornaments.

Town is becoming a ghost place. Went to eat at Fresco’s last night and it was chained and double locked. Never heard that it was closing. I am betting there are a myriad other places like that – just quietly closing and locking their doors. Makes me so sad.

This is something one must wonder, if a business on the main drag can’t survive who can? That’s right, not many! We have no one here.

Let’s get together and fix this industry cause those currently in charge are only out for themselves.

LOL just interjecting some reality

Front Street will soon be known as Jinks Town as they take over.

On the other hand, all of those people who look like me, who have been calling for opportunity, can now move in and run it with high wages and inexpensive goods. All the things they say on talk radio. I doubt it. Not one union will step up and invest. and not one talk show caller.

Moving cruise ships to Dockyard was a monumentally bad decision on many levels, and we are now paying the price.

I seem to recall that the UBP appointed Dr. Clarence James the Minister of Finance for many years (so much for that false theory from the then Opposition!). Cabinet Ministers included the likes of Stan Ratteray, Jim Woolridge (the best Tourism Minister we will EVER have), Lenny Swan, and later Sir John Swan and Pamela Gordon (daughter of one of the founding father’s of the PLP) – both of whom became Premier (the top job in any Government).

But keep feeding young people with false propaganda about the UBP only being a white party. Who knows, they might continue to believe it!

If you feel you are better off now than you were in 1998… you must be a member of the PLP’s Friends & Family Plan.

If you think our Country is in better financial shape now than it was in 1998… you must be a member of the PLP’s Friends & Family Plan.

If you think Tourism has improved since 1998, that there may be some new hotels built here under the PLP… you must be a member of the PLP’s Friends & Family Plan.

If you think that I.B. is impressed with the way our Government treats them… you must be a member of the PLP’s Friends & Family Plan.

If you think that the PLP gives a care for the common working man, 3,000+ of whom are now unemployed.. you must be a member of the PLP’s Friends & Family Plan.

By all means, if you are happy with the PERFORMANCE of the PLP to date, please be my guest and vote for them again.

But mark my words, you will SUFFER!!

Before we get too carried away with that statement just remember that you’re in fact refering to only about 15% of registered black voters.

Just because 85% (or thereabouts) of whites will never vote for the PLP don’t get off on this thing where people make it sound like blacks are the saviours at the polls when it come to casting their vote. At least 75% of blacks will never not vote PLP. And about 15% (or so) of whites ‘swing’ too.

Whites are unfairly crucified as though they ALL vote the same when in fact they ALL don’t and the majority of blacks will only ever vote PLP.

And seeing that registered black voters outnumber registered white voters by about 4 to one , who has the problem, in reality, if one is talking about race based voting ? ?

Do you “educated and intelligent” people actually have any idea how to run an economy, or do you just f… about all day complaining about capitalism?

Boy! VJ you are so out of touch, but then again we all know you are a horse with blinkers on.

If the PLP wants more white Bermudians to join, they are going to have to do a complete turn around in the way they view/ treat white Bermudians. The PLP is promoting themselves as the black party, always have, and since that is the case, you can hardly expect whites to vote for a party that they do not feel has its best interests at heart, and is repeatedly saying that they are opposed to the families that have historically controlled things (i.e. 40 Thieves). The PLP needs to show that they are working for ALL Bermudians, not just one part of the population.

“As an example, look at the historic race based immigration policies of the UBP and the intentional actions to change an historically black police force to a white police force.”

Actually, Bermuda’s police force has been historically white, not historically black; don’t know where you’re getting that statement from. The first officers of law enforcement were English constables brought to Bermuda from the U.K.

“My final comment for today is to realise why some of these shops have closed. It relates to an inability to change with the market place. If your business model is to cater only to visitors and the market has changed, you must adapt just as the government and International Business has to adapt. We can not continue to allow business failures to be blamed on government when it is not approporiate.”

Clearly you did not read the statement from Carol Holdings. The statement said that the shops are closing because of the LACK OF CRUISE SHIP bookings for 2013. It has nothing to do with “changing for the marketplace” – because in this case, the marketplace has because virtually non-existent! You can update your store/ merchandise all you want – it’s not going to make a bit of difference if you don’t have the shoppers here. In this case, yes it IS appropriate to blame the government, because WHO is responsible for cruise bookings? Government and the Ministry of Tourism! Don’t even use Gibbons Co as an example, because they clearly cater to locals and not tourists – tourists are not coming here to buy clothes at Gibbons, they get that stuff for ten times cheaper at Walmart.

“We have to also accept that public education is better than is portrayed in the media.” No, it isn’t. I don’t need the media to tell me that the education offered at a private school is far better than the education in public schools. I attended both public and private schools, and I experienced the difference in quality. I have nieces and nephews in public school now, and friends with their kids in private school, and I KNOW what goes on, and what they tell me. I don’t need to open the paper to know who is getting the better education.

I thnk the real challenge is for more white Bermudians to publicly join the PLP to have more direct input to policy formulation and to be a part of the change you wnat to see. We know how ostracised whites have been in the past just for the fact of joining the PLP. Accept the challenge and join the party.

It is also a statiscal fact that Bermuda’s white population is decreasing and as time moves on there will be more and more blacks that form part of the electorate. This is even more reason why whites have to serioulsy reconsider their emotional allegiance to the UBP and now OBA.

On a related note, all of the posters who attribute votes for PLP as racially based, you need to read your history books to better understand the social manipulation of the UBP to retain power and the effect it has had on Bermuda’s society. As an example, look at the historic race based immigration policies of the UBP and the intentional actions to change an historically black police force to a white police force. Reexamine the real reasons for why Sir. John was chosen to lead the UBP. If you are courageous, look at the underlying facts of why Craig Cannonier and Bob Richards were the only candidates for OBA Leader when Dunkley was and continues to be the preferred leader of the Party.

My final comment for today is to realise why some of these shops have closed. It relates to an inability to change with the market place. If your business model is to cater only to visitors and the market has changed, you must adapt just as the government and International Business has to adapt. We can not continue to allow business failures to be blamed on government when it is not approporiate. In all honesty, one of the greatest business changes in response to changes in demand is Gibbons Company. It is one of the few that adopted its business model (along with AS Coopers to a lesser degree) and continues to thrive.

Heads up – do not be surprised if one of the private schools close. All of them have expanded in recent years and now face declining enrollment. Can you blame this on government – no. Blame it on an inability to forecast future demand. We have to also accept that public education is better than is portrayed in the media… but that is another story.

I have to wholeheartedly agree with what Mr. Jeffers said the other night on Let’s Talk…we need to be rid of party politics and vote solely on the ability of every individual to perform…we end up with the best people in the best position to do the best for us and our island!! As long as there are divisive “parties” involved there will always be ignorant voting along “party” lines…this most certainly does NOT guarantee us the best people for the job!!

It is time for the people to take charge again…stop the bleeding before we are totally bled out…get over the us and them mentality and get on with healing OUR nation!!

’nuff said already….