Comments on: Planning Approvals Granted for Slate Quarrying

By: Common Sense

Common Sense — Sat, 08 Nov 2014 17:56:09 +0000

I guess Alvin is in the camp that truly believes if you tell a lie often enough people might begin to believe it. Like it or not our economy was in a complete shambles when the PLP left office and the OBA Government has the unenviable task of trying to get it going again so we Bermudians can get back to work. Unless Alvin has some magic answer to improving our economy (one the PLP Government failed to do) then the best way to get people back to work is to encourage the growth of international business , which took a severe battering under the former Government.

Alvin, will of course say that bringing more international business to Bermuda “does not have Bermudian interests at heart” but that is complete nonsense. If we can encourage new businesses to Bermuda we will see a revival of the construction industry, we will see more taxes being paid into our system to support the civil service, and we will see more demand for all of the services required by those who are employed in international business, including the many Bermudians who were previously employed in it or because of it – and that list is endless.

Tragically it is the attitude of those like Alvin who could well crush any hope we have of growing our economy and getting people back to work.

By: haha

haha — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 15:16:16 +0000

THIS:

“If Zane DeSilva really cared he would have had his people down at his quarry cutting slate and giving it away, or at least at cost. As owner of a large construction company why doesn’t he maintain a stock of slate? Instead of being part of the solution he’s looking for publicity and tries to score cheap political points at the expense of people’s suffering.”

By: Toodle-oo

Toodle-oo — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 13:47:34 +0000

I really think there is some disconnect with your brain wiring , could it have something to do with your political partialities ?

The bus shelters are government property. They were repaired by government employees using government owned slate that was stockpiled in the government quarry .

Private homeowners have to look after their OWN property using their own private contractors and supplies.

Did that help you at all ?

By: LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 13:33:27 +0000

Zane doesn’t own a quarry my firend. What you are talking about is actually not a quarry.

By: serengeti

serengeti — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 12:58:16 +0000

Having trouble with numbers today Alvin?

By: serengeti

serengeti — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 12:57:26 +0000

But if those W&E workers had been working on private houses you’d have been screaming about that too.

By: inna

inna — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 12:48:58 +0000

*33

By: Wondering

Wondering — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 11:54:35 +0000

Why not use DURASLATE? Is that not around anymore? Lots were used after Fabian!

By: rodney smith

rodney smith — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 11:02:12 +0000

Alvin, It’s constituency 33.

By: Ringmaster

Ringmaster — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 10:48:24 +0000

Since the quarries are privately owned by Bermudians, is Government supposed to order the owners to cut slate?

If Zane DeSilva really cared he would have had his people down at his quarry cutting slate and giving it away, or at least at cost. As owner of a large construction company why doesn’t he maintain a stock of slate? Instead of being part of the solution he’s looking for publicity and tries to score cheap political points at the expense of people’s suffering.

By the way, why is Constituency 23 having a bye-election?

By: frank

frank — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 08:07:46 +0000

Alvin it is constituency 33

By: frank

frank — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 08:04:30 +0000

it was not drama it showed that the minister and the oba once again did not care about us this was a national emergency and they gave us a lot of ministerial bs as always

By: Alvin Williams

Alvin Williams — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 02:37:38 +0000

Political pressure from the people which is what force this anti-Bermudian government to turn away from it’s usual course which does not have Bermudian interests at heart. Now that we have shown how to do it; let’s crush their political ambitions for the bye-election in constituency 23.

By: Kunta

Kunta — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 02:20:18 +0000

No it was de people that made it happen by making NOISE.

By: filobedo21

filobedo21 — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 02:07:31 +0000

MIXUP .. Slating a bus shelter is right a proper, the workers at W&E have to get on with earning their pay. The amount of slate for a few bus shelters is minimal. It has already been stated somewhere else that Government’s stock pile of slate was ruined and trashed earlier in the year… so obviously there was no stock for the general public to purchase from Government such as occurred during Hurricanes Emily Fabian. It’s a mystery to me as to why the stone cutters were not proactive by applying for permits at least a week or two before the storm, after all there would have been some roofs damaged. Perhaps the next time around the will be proactive.

By: Double Standards

Double Standards — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 01:26:00 +0000

You can’t expedite an application until an application has been made.

Four made this week and four issued this week.

Or did you want the Govt to force private land owners to quarry their own land?

By: Slate seller

Slate seller — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 00:13:34 +0000

Let’s hope the price of slate stays at pre hurricane prices!

By: mixitup

mixitup — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 00:10:25 +0000

What I don’t understand is how were Bus Shelters being re-slated long before homes….. FAHHEEEE?!!

By: Build a Better Bermuda

Build a Better Bermuda — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 22:39:17 +0000

Where has the law been broken, they promised to fast track applications, in only the last week 4 applications have been submitted and now approved. This wan’t breaking the law, it was adapting an existing departmental procedure to meet the urgent need. Two questions that need to be asked are; why did the government wait til last week to do this, and why hasn’t more quarries submitted applications?

By: Common Sense

Common Sense — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 22:38:14 +0000

What absolute and complete rubbish. The Government has done everything possible to speed up the process of granting licences for the opening of slate quarries without just giving carte blanche without any consideration for safety etc. Far from being an “OBA Muppet” whatever that silly phrase is suppoed to imply, I would be the first to criticise this Government if they dragged their heels on this issue, and I would venture to say that a PLP Government would probably have done exactly what Minister Fay has done.

Incidentally, I drive along North Shore Road almost every day and that sign has been up for 2 maybe 3 days at most. Perhaps the artist can replace it with another one. Suggested wording – “Thank you Government for keeping your word”

By: OBA Muppets r Everywhere!

OBA Muppets r Everywhere! — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 21:35:11 +0000

A full 3 weeks after the storms, 2 days after refusing to “break the law” now we see a complete switch and you say cool heads.

It was necessary political pressure that made this happen! The “drama” was caused by the OBA being hard headed, and the sign speaks for itself!

I’m guessing you had slate on your roof!

By: Jo Blo

Jo Blo — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 20:47:28 +0000

I think Fahy took the correct approach informing the public of the necessity for a structured approach to handling stuff like this. Good points re potential for striking water tables and contaminating roof supplied water with dust etc in the absence of Planning involvement…

By: Kunta

Kunta — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 20:35:46 +0000

About F!@#ing time.
Ya he has a cool head very charismatic, most times those are de DECEITFUL ones.
PEOPLE POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Rockfish#1and #2

Rockfish#1and #2 — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 20:32:18 +0000

Hopefully the NIMBY people will show some understanding.

By: Jim Bean

Jim Bean — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 20:03:01 +0000

Calm and logic prevail…exactly

By: Raymond Ray

Raymond Ray — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 19:52:31 +0000

Yes sir’e, Minister Michael Faye is a smooth operator Thanks once again for “staying the course.”

By: Longtail

Longtail — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 19:42:43 +0000

Having dealt with Planning applications for one of these quarries in the past I can well imagine that the neighbours will NOT be pleased…. but a little personal inconvenience is a small price to pay to get slate to those who need it. Thank you Minister Fahy and also the Technical Officers who have made this happen!

By: SMH

SMH — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 19:40:25 +0000

Thank Min. Faye, your cool heads prevails as always. Calm and logic always prevails over unnecessary political drama