Comments on: SAGE’s Recommendations To Cut Govt. Costs

By: Opinion Column: Chris Famous On SAGE, PGR | Bernews.com

Opinion Column: Chris Famous On SAGE, PGR | Bernews.com — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 15:02:05 +0000

[...] that the OBA had been promising public collaboration on the SAGE report since its release on October 31st, 2013, it is quite revealing that the first group that OBA engages in dialogue with is the business [...]

By: EIU On SAGE: “Political Risks Would Be High” | Bernews.com

EIU On SAGE: “Political Risks Would Be High” | Bernews.com — Tue, 28 Jan 2014 11:14:03 +0000

[...] SAGE Report was released in November 2013, and recommended that expense reductions in the first year equal $65 million; in [...]

By: Chamber To Host Meeting On SAGE Report | Bernews.com

Chamber To Host Meeting On SAGE Report | Bernews.com — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 13:14:04 +0000

[...] be hosting a special breakfast meeting to provide its membership with further information on the SAGE Report, with a particular focus on the potential commercial ramifications of the [...]

By: Live Blog: Premier Announces Smaller Cabinet | Bernews.com

Live Blog: Premier Announces Smaller Cabinet | Bernews.com — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 14:02:03 +0000

[...] recent SAGE Commission report suggested cutting back Cabinet from 12 to 8 Ministers, and while everything remains speculative at [...]

By: Speculation Swirls: Possible Cabinet Shuffle | Bernews.com

Speculation Swirls: Possible Cabinet Shuffle | Bernews.com — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 22:38:03 +0000

[...] recent SAGE Commission report suggested cutting back the size of Cabinet from 12 to 8 Ministers, and reducing the number of [...]

By: Premier: National Conversation On SAGE Report | Bernews.com

Premier: National Conversation On SAGE Report | Bernews.com — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 19:26:03 +0000

[...] SAGE Report recommended cost cutting measures including raising the retirement age to 68, privatization, reducing the amount of politicians and [...]

By: Poll: Should We Reduce Size Of Cabinet & MPs? | Bernews.com

Poll: Should We Reduce Size Of Cabinet & MPs? | Bernews.com — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 13:38:03 +0000

[...] it could save $730,000, the SAGE Commission suggested the size of Cabinet be reduced from 12 to 8 while the number of elected MPs should drop from 36 to [...]

By: 80 Minute Video: PLP SAGE Report Town Hall | Bernews.com

80 Minute Video: PLP SAGE Report Town Hall | Bernews.com — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 12:38:03 +0000

[...] recent SAGE Report recommended a raft of cost cutting measures including raising the retirement age to 68, possible privatization of some services, reducing the [...]

By: SAGE Report: PLP To Host 2 More Town Halls | Bernews.com

SAGE Report: PLP To Host 2 More Town Halls | Bernews.com — Sat, 30 Nov 2013 16:38:04 +0000

[...] recent SAGE Report recommended a raft of cost cutting measures including raising the retirement age to 68, possible privatization of some services, reducing the [...]

By: Mike Hind

Mike Hind — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 00:46:37 +0000

And you can show that they miscalculated?

I’d love to see that.

By: Werner

Werner — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 00:38:44 +0000

A few years of service – on the gravy train for life!!
Give me a break.

By: outkasted

outkasted — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 18:25:51 +0000

This increased competition, monetizing of everything but the kitchen sink will lead to our downfall. Increased competition will cause scarcity. Those that ARE GREEDY SHOULD KNOW. The private sector no longer has the foreign investment it once had thus they are looking to government and hungry for the chance to get the outsourcing work of those Government jobs once held by our so called “FAT” civil service.I see you chomping at the bit to get at those ‘juicy’ government contracts while at the same time bringing in foreign workers for cheaper labour to get a higher profit. Forget about the social impact. Well you will reap what you sow if you do not get this right the first time around. Government does need a shake up and restructuring but its doing it now at the worst time. Austerity to rule de land buh’.

By: outkasted

outkasted — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 16:58:37 +0000

Airport Operations. Gross miscalculations. However, I will wait for the official report for the corrections to be presented.

By: Mike Hind

Mike Hind — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 15:58:58 +0000

Such as…?

By: outkasted

outkasted — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 15:50:01 +0000

OMG the SAGE report is RIFE with incorrect so called facts! Who the hell proof read this documebnt. The damage has been dine and everyone has made up their minds.

By: BigMike

BigMike — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 20:42:07 +0000

Sisu was correct. Of those ‘in charge’ of the SAGE Commision there were two with very strong ties to the regiment. How cutting the regiment budget was overlooked is mind-boggling. It should have been addressed. Why wasn’t it?

By: aceboy

aceboy — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 11:56:32 +0000

Those silly rules made this island look like a banana republic to all the business people that had sent mail with a slight error on it. I was asked to explain “what the hell is going on down there?” a number of times when important documents were returned. We instituted a policy of ONLY sending documents by courier and told clients to do the same, simply because our postal service showed itself to be unreliable.

These facts are lost on Mr. Williams. He deserves a job for life and to be paid for NOT delivering mail because….(I’ll let him finish that)

By: bermuda boy

bermuda boy — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 09:46:23 +0000

How much do we pay in benefits and pensions to ex premiers?
Do any of them really need 2 pensions?

By: Impressive

Impressive — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 06:40:48 +0000

certainly smarter than the current character in that role

By: Ruthless

Ruthless — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 03:39:35 +0000

I know police officers who have been on sick leave and stress leave for 5 years straight with full pay! How can we be paying for this!

By: Mike Hind

Mike Hind — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 01:09:02 +0000

No. What’s racist is you and your dishonest and cowardly backpedaling on the things you’ve said.

And yes. I DO get bent out of shape when I see racist demagogues spreading hate and lies.

By: Mike Hind

Mike Hind — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 01:04:32 +0000

You know nothing about him.

By: Mike Hind

Mike Hind — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 01:04:01 +0000

No. I don’t.
I’m not the one judging people based on the colour of their skin. That’d be you.

By: Mazumbo

Mazumbo — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 23:49:11 +0000

Yo boss you need help.

By: Mazumbo

Mazumbo — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 23:47:18 +0000

What he would be disgusted with is the same Oligarchy Political Party he spent part of his life fighting against his very own …………I don’t think you want to go there!!!!!!!!!!

By: Inside Track

Inside Track — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 23:22:40 +0000

What private business could tolerate such high sick leave? Uncertified sick leave for ALL Government employees should be reduced to less than 5 or 3 days per calendar year, the remainder to be certified. Doctors need to evaluate better too while an incentive for a flawless record can be considered.

By: Mike Hind

Mike Hind — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 22:37:09 +0000

Thanks for the proof. NOTHING like the nasty filth you’re saying.

The difference is that he was pointing out facts and educating people. What you’re doing is twisting these facts to use in hate-filled political propaganda.
Nowhere does he blame people for the actions of their forefathers, nor does he blame people’s actions on their race.
He understood that “white people do bad things” doesn’t mean “white people are bad”.
You don’t.

By: Mazumbo

Mazumbo — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 21:43:50 +0000

The “whites were nasty to say the least”, he stated. They felt secure in their ability to control all facets of the island’s economic , political and social affairs through merciless intimidation, victimization and abuse of the political and legal process. Their most potent weapon was the limited ,land-based franchise that for generations they brazenly manipulated and rigged in devious ways during parochial and parliamentary elections.
Dr. E.F. Gordon (the REAL MAZUMBO)
The History Of The Bermuda Industrial Union(page 16 third paragraph)

By: Mike Hind

Mike Hind — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 18:52:19 +0000

What alternatives would be more palatable?
The post office isn,t going anywhere, so all the concerns you are raising aren’t valid. Contracts that need to be done by post will still be able to do so.

By: Scotty

Scotty — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 18:50:42 +0000

Why has Bermuda College never been looked at? This is a college which has become a bureaucracy. Administratively they are highly over staffed. Just do a comparison with any private school. The financial award from government is around $20 million per annum, why did SAGE not look at the taxpayers ROI for this mismanaged facility?

By: Toodle-oo

Toodle-oo — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 18:13:01 +0000

I don’t believe that there has been any corresponding increase in the ‘regular’ admissions at Westgate with the already considerable number of people in the private sector who have either lost their job , had hours cut or had to take a pay decrease.

These are the people who have already made the sacrifice.

What do you perceive is the difference between their behavior and the government workers who will now have to make their shared sacrifice ?

By: Sandy Bottom

Sandy Bottom — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 17:57:14 +0000

Victor, Post Offices do almost nothing. They don’t help the economy to an extent that justifies having it overstaffed by 80 people. People use email and couriers these days to communicate. The day of the letter as a principal means of communication is pretty much over.

The Post Office partly did this to themselves. The silly rules about where your letter box must be. Sending back thousands of letters for petty reasons. Failure to deliver when it’s raining. So we found other ways to do it. We all got Mailboxes and Zipx accounts and the internet, and we now use the PO 5% of the time, rather than 100% of the time 20 years ago.

By: Real Deal

Real Deal — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 16:14:42 +0000

If they follow this garbage there is going to be alot more them 300 in the prison.

By: SMH

SMH — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 15:32:24 +0000

The time has come to save Bermuda for all and not a select few. Education will be key in helping those who don’t understand economics. OBA must do a serious simplified campaign to get the dismal facts nailed in the heads of those who stay in denial.

By: Media

Media — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 14:14:03 +0000

Because they have to pay prison officers high bermuda salaries and benefits to look after the prisoners.

By: Funny

Funny — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 13:10:05 +0000

The pension piece is the scariest to me. They are seriously underfunded while the contributory fund hasn’t been audited since 2005!

Looks like my generation won’t be seeing a dime of our contributions when we retire.

Someone’s head needs to roll.

By: JUNK YARD DOG

JUNK YARD DOG — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 13:05:54 +0000

You may think that Governments owe a pile of money.

What about the Peoples debt.

In some countries people live well beyond pay check to pay check.

Why do business go bust ? Is it mismanagement of money?

Makes you wonder how much the private sector owes in mortgages ;loans and credit card debt.

Balance the books !

By: Mazumbo

Mazumbo — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 12:31:07 +0000

What’s racist is your conscious, I haven’t mentioned nothing about black or white just historical assumption which sounds like it may be a fact and ya getting bent all out of shape! SMH

By: Mazumbo

Mazumbo — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 12:22:00 +0000

The indigent clinic cost 4times more to operate and they want to open that back up ???????????????

By: Victor

Victor — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 12:14:09 +0000

Some of the Post Office ones are extreme Mike. They may not have considered how many older contracts require formal communications by post. Post Offices are a bit like railways elsewhere, money losers that help create a lot of wealth elsewhere in the economy. Same could be said for Public Transportation. I’m guessing the report was deliberately made extreme so that something more moderate can be presented as a compromise.

One aspect that surprises me is that there were no dissenting voices on the committee? In particular, I am surprised that Dame Jennifer has not suggested more palatable alternatives, some ideas to help the transition be softer.

By: Victor

Victor — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 12:05:50 +0000

I’m proud to say I never have!

By: Victor

Victor — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 12:05:17 +0000

Oops, hope it is not subliminal, please read Friends not Fiends above…

By: Victor

Victor — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 12:03:50 +0000

The issue is about productivity. On the present course, there will eventually be no national wealth as it will all be consumed by Government borrowing to pay civil service salaries so that this Mandarin Class can keep all their perks at the expense of the private sector, the Wealth Creating Class. On the other hand, if all that money was invested in new business, we would in short order be out of this downward spiral. Cannonier and fiends, Stay The Course! My experience from the Thatcher/Reagan era is that when it turns the corner, it happens very quickly.

By: Mike Hind

Mike Hind — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 05:24:07 +0000

I’m sure there will be concessions made.

Just a thought.

By: Mike Hind

Mike Hind — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 04:58:14 +0000

Such as?

By: Triangle Drifter

Triangle Drifter — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 04:08:37 +0000

Oh boo hoo! The productive civil servants should have no fear of being out of work. They are the ones who will get the jobs in a much more efficient private enviroment.

The seat warmers, the people bovine dropping their way to a paycheck every month are the ones who will need a serious attitude change if they expect to retain a job. The civil service has been the dumping ground for the otherwise unemployable for too long.

Look at the post office. Over 100 people overstaffed! Are you kidding? Go past any W&E road crew. How many are working? Overcrewed ferrys. See how tourboats are crewed with fewer people who have much more to do than open a gate & maybe tie a line.

By: Come On Man

Come On Man — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 04:07:03 +0000

*idiotic

By: Come On Man

Come On Man — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 04:04:28 +0000

Some of these recomendations are rediculous.And idiodic at best.

By: Triangle Drifter

Triangle Drifter — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 03:52:41 +0000

Frightening. Over $1500 per week. Over $6000 a month. They are lining up to get in. No work. The best health care. 3 meals a day. Shucks Bye, what could be better? Where is that sheriff from Arizona when you need him?

By: Ex PLP voter

Ex PLP voter — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 03:09:00 +0000

I will never vote PLP again.