Comments on: Derrick Burgess Responds To Auditor’s Report

By: rodney smith

rodney smith — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 09:51:54 +0000

In all honesty, there were certain projects handled by specific ministries that systematically had over runs. It was wrong for the government to allow PS’s to over see job sites. Problems were designed, if not allowed in order for there to be massive over runs and change orders. Something is wrong when the change orders cost more than the original bid. WE SAVED ALOT, BUT SPENT FAR, FAR TOO MUCH. Sir, but you would never agree to that.

By: Pete

Pete — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 01:32:32 +0000

The lightbulb minister squeaks

By: Pookie Boo

Pookie Boo — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 22:59:35 +0000

boy oh boy the shoes are starting to get tight and squeak

By: stunned...

stunned... — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 21:21:05 +0000

i am sure everything was legit with a tendering process (like he wants for the airport)and none of the bids was grossly inflated. none.

By: hmmm

hmmm — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 19:29:43 +0000

This is where the rubber meets the road. Feeble failures to mitigate accountability are shameful.

Its a disgrace !

By: rodney smith

rodney smith — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 19:01:47 +0000

I thank-you for all the savings you did for the country. But what the hell happened with the spending ? You let that fly right out the window. WHY??????

By: North Rock

North Rock — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 18:28:54 +0000

The real indictment is evidenced by the lack of the normal PLP/BIU bloggers….talk about being left to swing in the breeze !

By: Long bay trading

Long bay trading — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 18:00:30 +0000

Derek. Just. Give. Bermuda it’s money back.
Plain and simple.

By: 235

235 — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 17:11:17 +0000

I want to know how Richards is going to explain his flagrant issues with Financial Instructions regarding the Airport project.

By: Franklin Jr

Franklin Jr — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 17:01:29 +0000

Before anyone gets their shorts in a twist, I’d like to amend the above with “when it comes to their professional opinion”

By: hmmm

hmmm — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 16:59:01 +0000

For those that do not look at the link

The project to demolish the massive multi-story Park Avenue Hotel in a controlled explosion cost $898,000

By: Terry

Terry — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 16:48:13 +0000

Friends and family made a killing on that 13 Million.

By: Bermudian

Bermudian — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 16:05:30 +0000

Sorry Burgess, you don`t qualify to even speak on this matter after what you and yours did to Bermuda!

By: hmmm

hmmm — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 15:57:39 +0000

I can’t believe it cost 13,000,000.00 Dollars to knock down the Club Med….that is ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.

This is how much it should to implode a much bigger hotel building and in an area with close proximity buildings.

How much does it cost to implode a building:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33494787

By: Let there be hope

Let there be hope — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 15:48:14 +0000

In all fairness Mr. Burgess, if you are going to mention the jobs you saved money, why don’t you mention the one you went way over on.

By: Frank

Frank — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 15:40:54 +0000

$13 million to demolish the clubmed building and truck down the street to the airport dump Wow.

By: George

George — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 15:12:13 +0000

GTA its quite simple – there are things called Financial Instructions which regulate how, when and where Government officials can spend the tax payers money. Derrick Burgess and other Ministers and senior civil servants are being accused, by the Auditor General, as having breached those Financial Instructions. No matter how you spin it, if the Minister did not follow those instructions, or abused his position of power (he has admitted as much in this article by stating he ‘interfered’ in the decision making process) then he needs to be held accountable. Its quite simple really, you break the law (financial instructions in this case)then you need to be prosecuted accordingly, regardless of your intentions (whether you believe you are Robin Hood or not)!

By: Bermyman

Bermyman — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 15:04:13 +0000

Just Google , Burgess, Bermuda, Government, LEDs – will give you an idea of the level of the well rehearsed denial veteran.

By: Terry

Terry — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 14:52:33 +0000

That’s why we are have all these protests, marches, work stoppages …….

Wonder what king of strike the MP’s and contractors will employ………..
The writing is on the wall and it ain’t Scauer Hill………………………….

By: Charlie

Charlie — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 14:41:42 +0000

I’m not sure that any of these examples are savings to the taxpayer.

They all appear to be looking at rip off quotes and coming up with a cheaper way to achieve the same thing….

…. I would refer to that as ‘doing his job’.

How many of these rip-off things didn’t get slashed down and went through at the inflated mates rates?

By: Unbelievable

Unbelievable — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 14:15:21 +0000

See those protestors protesting immigration and same sex marriage? They should be protesting this guy, his PLP colleagues and the fact that the Auditor General came out with such a scathing report.

By: Toleratate

Toleratate — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 13:40:29 +0000

Agreed, first Zane Desilva now Derrick Burgess. Who will be next to step up making their excuses before the findings are released.
Stay tuned.

By: steve

steve — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 13:17:24 +0000

I would like to take this moment to personally thank you Mr Burgess along with your Government for saving Bermuda a pack of tax payers money on construction projects-Your the Best! I find myself laughing and then crying almost daily.

By: Jus' Wonderin'

Jus' Wonderin' — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 13:14:45 +0000

So where did all the saved money go then? LOL….jus’ wonderin!

By: archy

archy — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 13:14:45 +0000

Sounds rather like getting excuses in first …

By: reason

reason — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 13:13:53 +0000

isnt the PLP in favour of this commission of inquiry? why have him and zane come out saying something different?

By: Truth is killin' me...

Truth is killin' me... — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 13:11:17 +0000

Yah right…SAVINGS!? Yah right!!!!He doth protest too much!!!! I’m smelling something and it ain’t my top lip!!!!!

By: Lois Frederick

Lois Frederick — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 13:09:44 +0000

I believe he will have more than enough opportunity to address any perceived discrepancies whilst appearing before the COI.

By: Bullseye

Bullseye — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 13:01:43 +0000

Burgess is twitching….

By: jt

jt — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 12:58:47 +0000

I’m sure Mr. Burgess fully supports the COI….so that the record can be set straight.

By: San George

San George — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 12:58:13 +0000

Tip of the iceberg – these are the ones he claims to have caught. The blaming begins. Not my fault; his fault. The entire commission is a joke. All of you are in the HoA for yourselves. It’s no wonder none of you have to work after leaving the House.

Shame on you. Said time for Bermuda.

By: aceboy

aceboy — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 12:53:12 +0000

Yea Derrick. The trained Auditor did not understand that your “interference” saved us lots of money, that is why she flagged it as a serious issue.

What a crock. Can’t wait to hear what the Auditor says in response. As usual it will no doubt shut you up for a few more months.

By: smh

smh — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 12:52:07 +0000

Getting nervous Derrick? Well you should be… that’s why you have been singled out. Bermuda wants our money back.

By: Franklin Jr

Franklin Jr — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 12:49:51 +0000

Accountants don’t really tend to care about politics Derrick

By: GTA

GTA — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 12:48:16 +0000

Sounds like what he calls ‘interference’ is what other people would call ‘doing your job as minister’. There are always more expensive ways of doing things, especially in construction, but you can not claim finding the most cost effective solution as an actual savings when compared to more robust and expensive options. The club med building could have been demolished by hand, piece by piece, and costs 100′s of millions of dollars to complete. But you can not argue that by not doing it by hand you effectively saved the tax payer 100′s of millions of dollars, by choosing the cost effective cheaper solution.

By: Widget

Widget — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 12:43:25 +0000

I am sure the truth will all come out when the commission reports there findings.

By: Jus' Askin'

Jus' Askin' — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 12:40:27 +0000

PLP truly needs to come clean and investigate all the points presented by the AG!!! Hold ALL those that are GUILTY of WRONG doings ACCOUNTABLE. NO one can convince me everything was above board with the handling of the PUBLIC PURSE!!!

Until they come with the TRUTH I really don’t want to hear them

By: Happy

Happy — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 12:34:05 +0000

here come the excuses now, after the fact how long later? someone’s boots are shaking

By: Yahoo

Yahoo — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 12:32:26 +0000

So this audit report was released near the end of 2014 and it took Burgess 14+ months to respond? I know he is slow but…