PLP Calls On Government to Assist Centre
“The safety for victims of domestic violence and their children must be a priority and the Government should provide sufficient funding,” Shadow Health Minister Kim Wilson said.
Ms. Wilson was speaking in reference to the Centre Against Abuse, a charity which works to support victims of domestic violence.
The charity — whose Government grant was recently reduced from $100,000 to $75,0000 — closed their safe house at the August due to financial challenges.
Ms. Wilson said, “In advance of Domestic Violence Awareness month in October, we repeat our call to the Government to uphold their responsibility to the community to provide sufficient funding to keep the safe shelter open.
“In fact, the United Nations views the provision of safe shelters and other services as a critical part of the states obligation to protect victims of violence.
“We live in a very philanthropic community with many charities and helping agencies providing very important services to our community.
“However, all to often, services provided my some charities are similar in nature to the services provided my other charities , nonetheless, these said charities still receive funding grants from the Government, this despite the apparent duplication of services.
“As the only provider of this kind for the entire community, The Centre Against Abuse must be supported through sufficient funds from the Government in order to meet its mission of providing a safe shelter to those in our community who are the victims of abuse.
“The safety for victims of domestic violence and their children must be a priority and the Government should provide sufficient funding now and ensure that future expenses are all budgeted for on an ongoing basis,” Ms. Wilson added.
Speaking yesterday, Minister of Community, Culture & Sports Wayne Scott said that “while additional funds have not been allocated at this time, that does not mean that additional funds will not be made available in the future.”
The Minister said, “At this juncture, it is our aim to work with the Centre and other helping agencies overall to find viable solutions to ensure that they have the appropriate resources necessary to service the public.”
Government is examining both short and long term solutions. In the short term, we are looking to see whether we can divert funds from other areas. This is not easy and is not the best solution, as other equally important Ministry functions would suffer.”
Minister Scott added that since discussions are ongoing and work behind the scenes continues, it would be “counter-productive to discuss in detail what is being considered and the solutions that are being analysed,” and promised to keep the public apprised of developments.
Over 700 people have signed the “Save the Safe House” online petition calling for Government to commit an annual grant of at least $200,000 to the Centre Against Abuse, and to develop and fully implement a comprehensive action plan to end domestic violence in Bermuda.
This latest strategy of the PLP is cheap.
The situation: There is no extra money because the PLP put us in a position of having to make massive debt repayments in a declining economy. 110M a year.
The result: Funding for important organization simply cannot be maintained.
The cheap part: Repeatedly calling on the OBA to spend spend spend on worthy causes, knowing fully well that it left the government cash strapped. When the OBA speak the truth about our finances, they call that reality “anti-Bermudian” and then try to paint pro-business as anti-Bermudian.
The truth: Pro business IS pro Bermudian ! There are tough decision to be made and this is how adults run a house hold. Sometimes you just can’t afford some things and the answer is no.
It’s a cheap strategy, once again…If not mistaken, the Minister said something like this: “The place wasn’t in use at the time of closing its doors”.
Whether or not people do believe that it’s another charity is up to them…Personally, I do believe several charities can be merged and eliminate the need / want of so much from our present day Govt. O.B.A. that in reality are scratching its bottom looking for “spare cash” due to the waste of monies by our previous Govt. the Progressive Labour Party who also had closed down a charity “Home” for children…)
Why doesn’t as a good will gesture the plp fund the centre out of their own pockets !the interest alone on the missing 800 or so million can put one in every parish and still some.
I agree, history shows, the PLP loves to throw Galas and Banquets where their support base happily pay hundreds of dollars to attend, so if they genuinely care about the matter, they would kick that fundraising machine in gear and give the money they normally would keep for themselves to run their party (party in both sense of the word) going to the centre. Their ideas of government paying for everything got us into the position we are in now. They continue to hope that the Bermudian people are foolish enough to believe that government is rolling in cash. The truth is, government’s money is the money they take from US, in taxes.
How can they assist when they are spending monies promoting non Bermudians abroad. Look how many of them went to promote a scent?
Agreed but do you know 100% for sure they weren’t already in NY at the same time for other business?
They were there for other business…says in the other article.
It would appear that the former government were able to subsidises quite a number of charities and organisations in the face of growing debt, ALL COUNTRIES live in debt!!!!!Ignoring the global crisis and blaming PLP is childish and accomplishes nothing! The inbalance of our system was going to show sometime or another, it happened during the former governments reign, and people are still being hauled into courts because of them scamming the global system, .. When are we going to learn to read the signs of the times…The very dollar we are linked to is diminished in value, and USA is the most in debt!!! Can’t blame that on PLP… Promises were made and broken, unexplained monies going to whomever, wherever, and the attitude towards are own people is pathetic!! These are some serious signs in some serious times to ponder.
MJ
You can’t compare Bermuda’s financial situation to the US! The US has a larger population, natural resources, they can print their own money without devaluing it because their currency can be traded outside their country…
We have $2B+ debt in a country that has about 65K people. Of those people let’s assume 8K are expats, 8% are retired or sick, 5% are under the age of 18 and 2% are unemployable (drugs, jail etc.). Who’s going to pay the taxes to a) support the current civil service? b) support retirees pensions and health plans? c) support schools health plans for our children? d) repay the debt?
I could go on for days but won’t because I know facts will only fall on PLP deaf ears.
its not “they” who prints their money, it’s a private “Family” that prints at a cost unbeknown to you…and if you think that it doesn’t devalue, think again. Why do you think you are paying more now for an item that has been around ever since you can remember…exact same item costs you many more of your hard earned dollars…deceptive devaluation, seems as though they got you too.
This is a willfully ignorant position to take.
The PLP were warned on more than one occasion by people inside and outside their party that the financial path they were on would have negative results for Bermuda. They were warned before there was a global financial crisis and they were warned while there was still time to take action but they did nothing. They did nothing. When the financial crisis did arrive they were caught with their pants down but they still did nothing, probably because they did not know what to do.
That’s how it is. Sorry.
YOU SPENT ALL DE MONEY
Where’s the Money Honey?
Oh !!! Thats Right ! The PLP spent it ALL.
All, all, all, all……
Ask Beyonce for the $2M back – thats just for starters!
Yes, what a waste!
Better still – That PLP function that is coming up soon at $150.00 and up per plate (or whatever it was), why not show your support by donating that to the centre.
Good idea, Ty.
I’m getting more and more convinced every day that the PLP do not understand how the Bermuda economy works. Pro – Business is Pro-Bermudian as stated above. Honestly, like, what’s going on over there at Alaska Hall?
I wish someone would march on that building too.
The PLP Banquet is held at a hotel owned by non Bermudians, operated by non Bermudians and with a large staff of non Bermudians. Yet the PLP cry out about Standing Strong for Bermudians. No wonder they have no idea how the economy works and why they have created a new Bermuda for the benefit of non Bermudians.
i’ve got a few questions i’d love to ask all the premiers of this country from 1984 onwards…i’m curious as a mofo.
All this violence going on, you would think they would keep all the anti-abuse services they could!
The grant at issue is $200,000. Each Year.
The PLP hired Beyoncé to perform in Bermuda at a cost of $2 million.
That is 10 years worth of grants for the Centre against Abuse.
10 years to help needy Bermudians against 3 2 hour concerts by an entertainer.
Remember 10 years to help needy Bermudians against 6 hours for a non Bermudian entertainer.
PLP Standing Strong for Bermudians? More like Money over Bermudians.
Beyonce performed for 6 hours? Don’t you mean 6 mins.