OBA: ‘PLP Trying To Deflect From Their Record’
[Updated] The most important thing on the Government’s agenda is to tear down whatever we say on the issues to deflect people’s attention from their record, the One Bermuda Alliance said.
This follows after the PLP press conference yesterday where they called the OBA’s brochure detailing some of their planned initiatives calling a “fairy tale that doesn’t add up.”
“This kind of attack on our initiatives brochure is to be expected,” a statement from the OBA said.
“The most important thing on the Government’s agenda is to tear down whatever we say on the issues. By doing that, they hope to deflect people’s attention from their record and from the fact that they have no plan to get Bermuda working again – no plan that says to the unemployed, to struggling businesses and hard-pressed families that better days are ahead.
“The OBA this week put forward a preview of its plans to re-start the economy, grow good-paying jobs, restore safety to our neighbourhoods and provide our children with great schools.
“The PLP attack puts forward numbers that can only be described as ridiculous, and its sensitivity to how much things cost is laughable given the state of Government finances today.
“Here are a couple of facts to keep in mind when considering the Government attack:
- Government increased the people’s debt more than 700% since 2005
- Government’s own austerity programme has resulted in significant job layoffs and severe cutbacks to community support programmes.
- There are more than 3,300 Bermudians unemployed, with youth unemployment at more than 30%.
“The OBA is putting forward sensible ideas such as payroll tax breaks to employers for all new Bermudians hires and directing more government spending to small businesses. These and other measure are designed to protect and grow Bermudian jobs. It amazes us that a so-called labour Government would speak against them.
“The OBA economic plans for Bermuda will take time to bring to fruition – in part because of the terrible financial hole the Government has put the Island in. But we believe a change in government followed by the implementation of steady, responsible pro-growth policies, transparency and a more welcoming attitude toward investors will restore confidence and trust in the Island, jobs for Bermudians and hope for the future.
“We will leave it to the people to decide if they want this change, or more of the same,” concluded the OBA.
Update 10.21am: The PLP responded saying: “The OBA will continue to try to deflect the public from the fact that their plans do not add up. They will continue to peddle the fairy tale that they can cut taxes, increase spending, and reduce the debt.
“The fact is that 2+2 does not equal 0, and their plans will cost $500 million over 5 years. No amount of statements that the OBA release, and no amount of slick ads that the OBA produce, can deflect from the fact that their plans don’t add up.
“For the OBA plans to add up, there will have to be deep cuts to other government programs and services, however the OBA have been typically silent on what they would cut.
“We will leave it to the people to decide if the OBA pledge to increase spending, cut taxes, and reduce the debt adds up.”
Anything the plp says about the economy should be ignored. Not only have they run up a debt of billions, but Paula Cox is so far removed from the average person that she thinks economic recovery has already started. Plus, anyone with common sense knows that the plp would start slashing government jobs, budgets etc if they are reelected.
Not so sure, this is the same PLP that presided over growth from 1998-2008; such short memories we have.
Think you got the parties confused, PLP should be slashing jobs, but they know that will cause more harm than good. OBA, they will have no such compunction.
And OBA would not be any better if they are elected. Everyone has an opinion yes but being a young Bermudian it doesn’t matter who is in power,because they (all parties) are the same. If OBA gets in and don’t please the public or don’t move as fast as we think they should be moving you all would have something to say about them also.
It all boils down to MONEY!
Here is is: If the plp retains power, based on their past “performance,” particularly under the Brown regime, foreign investorsPotential investors simply do not trust the plp government to do the right thing.
However, if the OBA are elected to power, BILLION$ of dollars will be released to be invested in Bermuda, and things will slowly return to normal. That is a fact.
Vote wisely.
We seem to have lost some of that post along the way;
It all boils down to MONEY!
Here it is: If the plp retains power, based on their past “performance,” particularly under the Brown regime, foreign investors will ignore Bermuda. No new hotels will be built. Potential investors simply do not trust the plp government to do the right thing. That is a fact.
However, if the OBA are elected to power, BILLION$ of dollars will be released and invested in Bermuda, and things will slowly return to normal. That is a fact.
Vote wisely.
@CBA do you really believe what you’re saying the local economic downturn was not caused by the plp, but you people keep jumping on the recovery comments the economic recovery in the states has started so there in a sense ours is soon to follow. When she said those words in that conference premier cox was referring to that. But you continue to say look at the plp’s record so i did and under the plp we experienced our largest period in economic growth EVER in 2006!!!! If you don’t believe me check the numbers yourself. Than you listen to man like larry burchall who doesn’t make any sense when he talks about are interest payments on the debt, because everyone (maybe not you) knows interest isn’t paid by the minute so check your own house of lies before calling anyone out on theirs…
If you think the American economy is on the road to recovery, try looking at the broader picture. Have a look over in the middle east at Syria and Iran, look at the tensions building between America, China and Russia. Right now most oil is sold by the US dollar (petro-dollar), point is, if that changes the US economy will come crashing down like those 2 buildings in NY. If you’re so sure about the American economy can you predict that outcome for me? Not to mention China pretty much owns American so its not exactly a country you want to start a war with.
Highest growth ever in 2006?
Maybe, and yet they still overspent on actual revenue in excess of $130 MILLION. Read that, record income yet still overspent and created debt. 2007 revenue grew again and they overspent by $214 MILLION. Remember this is record income. 2008 they overspend by $237 MILLION. 2009 they overspend by $365 MILLION!!!
Somewhere between 2002 and 2010 the PLP decided that we needed double the budget to run the country. Over a half a BILLION dollars more was needed to run country.
Actual spending by the PLP in 2002 was $632 million and money was actually saved.
2009 spending was $1,282,000,000. Somehow with the same population we needed twice the government spending which resulted in huge debt. this is not the result of a global crisis. This is irresponsible spending at home by the PLP. There’s no other way to spin it.
Warren buffet has a famous line –
“If you keep spending on things you don’t need, eventually you are going to have to sell the things you need.”
The PLP lived in enormous excess for years and now the island is totally strapped and the future is being sold to pay todays debts. They are directly responsible and need to be held accountable.
Change please!
@tired of the bull, I wish I had known that about interest payments. The bank charged me interest for every minute of every day for the past 20 years on the money I borrowed from them. Maybe interest payments are different for governments?
Anyone with common sense will know that if we are truly going to deal with the debt we have as a country then we will have to look at all government jobs and there will have to be cuts made regardless who gets to be the next government.
I dont know if making government workers redundant or laying the off indefinitely would work because then we would have a greater promblem where these same folks would have to apply for social assistance and that would still be coming out of the public purse,but I will say that thousands of government jobs will have to have their work hours cut in order to off set some of the government debt we are in.
To outright blame the P.L.P for the majority of debt we are in is pointless and we better be looking at the over state that we are in and how we got here.it is easy to lay the blame at Premier Cox as Premier and the fact that she has been the finance minister for some time even before coming Premier but the private sector has alot to do with where we find ourselves today and the government overspending in areas that they needed to tighten the belt is only part to blame.
There were bad decisions made were we did not get more for the buck and doing more with less dont seem to be working as we dont see the less that they are talking about and yes these are facts but we dont see how the proposals of the O.B.A will work either as they have not given a clear enough blue print of how they are going to wave the magic wand and we will be on the road to recovery.
There is no way the O.B.A can become the government and tell us that they will not have to slash jobs or reduce work weeks/& or work days for government workers in order to bring down the government debt.then even if they do reduce the debt were is the rest of the funds coming from that will put money into the public purse to do what they say they would do.
I think saleries need to be adjusted greatly and if we have to see salaries reduce then we have to involve the private sector and government to work hand in hand,where we need to see the private sector reduce its rents for the business community.we already have seen rents begin to fall on a small scale for residential accomadations and we are going to have to see interest rates on mortgages and loans come down,cost of doing business in Bermuda completely needs to be address with drastic measures.
Now you show me a government that can do that and you will show us economic recovery,Bermuda is high way robbery and the government sets policicies in place and our legislature our laws but the private sector has milked it for all they can for years and now we are experiencing the great fall out,so stop putting all the blame on the P.L.P and start looking at the bigger picture,after all we have a government that is sitting up there that may be governing but do they have the private sector all tied up as well under their control,I dont think so.
Now finally the U.B.P when in power did not just rule from the publis purse but they also control the private sector as the majority of them were the same running the private sector and that is why they were so successful in the period that they were,the O.B.A maybe a spin off from them but do not have the old guard that once was and do not have the clout or wealth as the old guard to make the power of the 40 thieves be relived once again,so the O.B.A would inherit the same thing that P.L.P inherited the the last of the drifters of the U.B.P in 1998 and would have to make almost some of the same decisions that the P.L.P has made and therfore putting us in the same position we are in or worse.
Do we wantto play a guessing game at this stage,I dont think so and again I say to the O.B.A you have gained some ground and made some headway but go back to the drawing table and we will see you in another 4 years and just maybe you might be ready or by then the P.L.P would have proven the benefit of been given the chance to make the changes needed.
Wow, as dumb as dumb can be.
LOL
Why do you say “another 4 years”?
In Bermuda it’s a max of 5 years. And as we know, the PLP cling to power for every last day of the full 5 years, no matter what a mess they’re making of things and how unpopular they are.
If you have ever watched the political scene wchich I am sure you have,once an election is called no matter who the winning party,none of them ever get serious about campaigning for the next election until we reah the 4 year mark and teh try and make the 5th year their platform for being re-elected,I feel the time has long past and we need to be like the United States and have set times for the elections and not wait for it to be called.
Did any one ever teach you what a sentence is no I guess they didn’t did they and I know this because of the way you right and things like that but it’s ok everyone is in titled to there opinion I guess it’s the ubps fault you aren’t educated.
god, I hope that was sarcasm ’cause “in titled” ranks right up there with “mister meaner”.
And their, there and they’re are not interchangeable.
He has the ‘write’ to say it however he likes….lol sorry.
@um um like
and u come here lookin for small issue like …..
u r a fruitloop
GET A LIFE
if jobs are to be slashed in government obviously we need to start from the top..they will not qualify for social assistance and instead will be using the huge savings accumulated over the years! that would actually help the economy..Remember Duane we don’t want to take jobs from the lower income that wouldn’t make a dent quick enough!Top positions in government are no longer sustainable and I’m sure they will agree like most of us the wealth most be shared..some way..
Duane, knowing you personally, I can’t believe you are still on this PLP trip. I have gotten off and when I see you we have to talk. It is imposible for any team to do worse then the PLP. Since when have you seen a Premier of such a small country have so many assistants? Mr Scott Simmons and many others are not needed, and are recieving huge salaries. They are getting large salaries, they can afford to pay their own way, don’t we? All these cars, and we even have to pay to get them cleaned? Many having positions in Goveernment due to them being friens and family and are not qualified, and I can name at least 11 of them, all getting high salaries, they need to go!! The blue collar workers are not to be cut, but their supervisers need to be held accountable and make them give in an honest days work, perhaps are trash will be collected when scheduled, the grass be cut and not look like a third world country, the trash along the streets be picked up and not left to be blown around the wind, the chicken population will be gotten rid of before there is an out break and causes illnesses. I can go on all night, but we will speak when I see you in passing. Duane, you know it, I know it and even hard core PLP supporters know it, this PLP government has set us back to the point that it is going to be a serious struggle to bring it back to a better place and perhaps never like how it was. Let us all be honest, 5 more years of the PLP will be disasterous, only to say our brothers are running the country. No I can’t do this again!!!
Such stupid comments. No wonder the PLP is such a mess. I would like to say that ignorance deserves what it gets, but regret that so many others are being dragged down by it. It’s like some of these people can’t even count.
I say good riddance to the lot.
I’m an abused wife and someone is telling me to give my abusive husband another four years to sort out his house. Put some makeup on and cover those bruises…it will get better. HELL NO…CHANGE IS NOW! GET OUTTA MY HOUSE…I AM DONE WITH YOU!!!
Another 4 years…. you must be joking. Bermuda will no longer be….. everyone that is able will leave. PLP has to go!
i do not understand why this gov don’t understand that they got’s to go… our debt began in 1998
Hello,
I must ask the people who want the PLP out do they have a better suggestion, or replacement. I am a person who has grown frustrated with the PLP GOV. over the past few years, but that doesn’t mean I have to settle for the perceived next best thing.
No, we don’t. Vote plp, at least you can be sure of what you’ll be getting. Why risk a chance of attaining good governance? The oba might try and push that transparency thing the Premier mentioned but clearly never acted on. It just seems silly to me…smh.
How can we attrack investors if our government has not clean books since 2009. Project 900 million expense and spend 1.3 billion and then don’t produce financials…I absolutely know what we got! Talking about not adding up!
And had the Opposition pushed and pushed you would have said the PLP was being targeted cuz they are black. The only peaceful way to clean house is with an election.
I think any reasonable person/party could be an alternative to what we have now. The PLP have had their chance…time for someone new to try their hand.
Don’t blame me you made it happen
YES!! The OBA is a better suggestion or replacement. How much more licks do you want to take? Are you some sort of masochist?
To Sylvan,
That’s your opinion, and you have a right to feel the way you do. But don’t act asif you are speaking from factual information. To be frankly honest with you, me and may family have been taking licks, so this is nothing new to people who struggle. I’m not sitting here telling you vote for PLP or OBA, but just remember that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence.
Well said
If the major concern is the economy, which party has the intellectual capital that will pull us out of the hole? The PLP that put us in it? Or the OBA with learned business and finance people with real world experience. It comes down to the PLP finance team who masquerade as Economists and the OBA who have qualified economists on their side.
The PLP are the big pretenders and it is beginning to catch up with them.
I’ll be glad when the bloody election is over. US and BDA… Y’all a bunch of scoundrels.
Hows this for a sensible idea, give the workers a payroll tax break instead.
The only deflection from a record is the UBP calling themselves the OBA to deflect us from their own record.
Yea things were so bad back then. Defend the plp record and stop typing nonsense…you can’t. Point blank.
Are you effin’ kidding me?????? You have a former LEADER of the UBP as one of your current ministers!!!! All this hatin’ on the UBP is such a JOKE….you hate on ‘em in one breath and then welcome them as brothers with another breath!!
Sorry to jump in so late, but I couldn’t let this one go: “but the private sector has alot to do with where we find ourselves today and the government overspending in areas that they needed to tighten the belt is only part to blame.”
Tell me please… what did the private sector do to get us into this position? Maybe the banks contributed to many local’s woes, where their homes are now worth less than their 100% mortgages. But why did property values tank? Exactly… the plp did it!
IMO, the plp are solely responsible for where the island finds itself now! They are just a bunch of self-serving amateurs who haven’t learned a thing in the 14 years we have given them to straighten things out. Remember, the plp have such a poor reputation (from the Brown/Burgess era) that no international investors will work with this gov’t, and as a consequence, no new hotels will be built under the plp. That is a fact.
Vote wisely.
THE END, the PLP has to go, lets face it we (Bermuda) has no more money that can “dissapear” and we need to do the hard work of attracting business and investors back to Bermuda, im sure the term “hard work” will send the PLP ministers ducking for cover but thats whats required ,its going to take years to clean up a corrupted system and clean our balance sheet so bring on a new (not corrupt) party that knows how to do work and get the results Bermuda needs otherwise 5 years from now…it doesnt even bear thinking about