Comments on: Minister: $300,000 In Additional Aid For College

By: Zevon

Zevon — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 12:34:40 +0000

But you wanted jobs for people in tourism and service industries. Has that changed now?

By: Once Upon A Time

Once Upon A Time — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 05:11:38 +0000

Tourism makes up a relatively small amount of our GDP. Investment in IB education would’ve been smarter than AC.

By: fu

fu — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 03:16:29 +0000

“Why do your choice of words sound so familiar?”

plp speeches. Same old propaganda as last time. plantation questions!

By: fu

fu — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 22:48:39 +0000

“Look at all these disgusting comments on here. ”

I know! PLP supporters are a hateful bunch!

By: fu

fu — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 22:47:45 +0000

“Why do your choice of words sound so familiar?”

plp speeches. Same old propaganda as last time. plantation questions!

By: fu

fu — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 22:46:03 +0000

“. It would be good if the PLP upheld their pledge of good governance to say where they found the money.”
“found”?…we all know where they “found” it

By: Ringmaster

Ringmaster — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 21:24:11 +0000

c) Bermuda is bankrupt. Until we can start to pay down the debt everything else is meaningless. $300,000 for Bermuda College? Where are the jobs for these people to fill? The PLP was smart in the election. Not a word about jobs.

By: Ringmaster

Ringmaster — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 21:18:42 +0000

So basically you are confirming a Bermudian student who benefited from AC Endeavour is now equal to a Canadian. That proves the benefit of the AC Endeavour program because the Bermudian never had the opportunity before. Good try to say 700 students cost millions. It is a lie and you know it. You can stop the falsehoods, the PLP won the election.

By: Ringmaster

Ringmaster — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 21:12:20 +0000

Just because San Fran saw no benefit doesn’t mean Bermuda won’t. Are you privy to the KPMG Report due in October? I’ll bet AC will be a better use of money than $40m to Global Hue or $45m to build Grand Atlantic.
AC was part of the Tourism build out. It meant many infrastructure build outs providing local jobs and will generate exposure for Bermuda for many years. Far more than any $ spent on tourism in the past.

By: Coffee

Coffee — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 20:08:37 +0000

Over 800 people attempted to squeezed through an even smaller loophole to become a citizen of the impoverished atoll . Try telling them about ‘the delusions of grandeur .’

By: johnt

johnt — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 18:23:23 +0000

Can I ask Lol, were you this outraged when the debt quintupled between 2006 & 2012 under the PLP. You do understand this started the cycle of having to borrow more to pay off existing debt leading to the continual increase in debt? Whilst the OBA had many faults refinancing the debt to achieve lower interest rates was not one of them.
Whilst managing debt is crucial, Bermuda also desperately needs to boost its GDP. As has been pointed out many times our GDP has suffered since 2008, so how do we boost this? By increasing consumption, increasing private investment, increasing gov expenditure (where possible), increasing exports…… queue the AC. The teams invested in our island, tourism (an export) received a boost and the island received fantastic publicity/advertising which should increase tourism in the future. No the AC was not a permanent fix, it didn’t improve the lives of the majority of Bermudians, but just like the story above it’s a start, the first truly proactive step I’ve seen the government take to encourage economic growth. Now we need the next step and then the next to create a continually expanding economy that will eventually benefit the entire island.
In among all of this we of course need to educate our children to a standard that enables them to take advantage of the best opportunities this island offers and to positively contribute in turn. Let’s be honest about public education, in its current state money alone is not the solution. We need to create a culture whereby the importance of education is understood by students. Students need to be able to see there is an equal opportunity for all to succeed irrespective of background (I’m not arguing this currently exists), this way they’ll be willing to invest in their education. Teachers need to inspire, IB needs to engage with schools and highlight the path required for success, political parties and unions need to come together and recognise this is about the students and not political point scoring, parents need to hold schools, the government and their children accountable for their performance.
There’s a lot in the above, but ultimately we all need to somehow put aside our differences for the benefit of this island.

By: The Original Truth™

The Original Truth™ — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 18:20:05 +0000

Oh yes I almost forgot. They taught them sailing also.

We’ll I guess a child in Canada will just have to settle for Tim Hortons camp where they learn sailing and a heck of a lot more than in the Endeavour Program.

By: Bullnoseh

Bullnoseh — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 18:19:42 +0000

Oh come on. That golf tournament made peanuts. They were giving tickets to schoolkids to make up mumbers. No one was buying tickets.
It’s nonsense like this, belief in myths, that makes you all look so stupid.

By: The Original Truth™

The Original Truth™ — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 18:15:11 +0000

A Canadian public middle and high school student has received hundreds of hours more of STEM studies than one of the children who participated in the Endeavour Program by the time they graduate. It was 15-20 children participate each week that were choosen to participate in the Endeavour Program. In total it was close to 700 not 1000 children. So Bermuda pays AC millions to teach local children STEM while Canadian children learn and get a transferable credit for next to no cost.

By: Toodle-oo

Toodle-oo — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 16:58:57 +0000

Because
a) we’re not independant
and
b)any intelligent person knows that 20 sq miles being surrounded by water makes us nothing more than a very tiny island

And even if we were independent we’d still be a weenie island .

The delusions of grandeur are costing us dearly .

By: PBanks

PBanks — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 16:16:59 +0000

Nauru and Tuvalu are smaller, but they’re independent nations. Why are we hung up on the nomenclature of a self-governing region based on its size?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 15:51:42 +0000

Mate, where have you been? They reversed the college being free like 6 years ago.

By: The Original Truth™

The Original Truth™ — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 14:07:28 +0000

Did you ask the same questions about the millions put towards AC. I didn’t see OBA’s answer to your questions.

By: Bullnoseh

Bullnoseh — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 14:03:30 +0000

Funny how you didn’t buy a few units when they were for sale

By: The Original Truth™

The Original Truth™ — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 14:02:47 +0000

You are the numpty if you think more funding for educating the young wont help them. There are better post secondary education options in third world countries for their citizens than Bermuda. This is why they can get jobs Bermudians can’t. The boat race for the 1% will only help the young connected to the 1%.

By: Politricks

Politricks — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 13:20:25 +0000

Then why did so many other cities bid to hold it?

By: Zevon

Zevon — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 13:14:57 +0000

Wasted money and you know it..

By: Bermudian

Bermudian — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 13:07:54 +0000

No applause from me. Its easy to give money away!

By: Toodle-oo

Toodle-oo — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 12:39:06 +0000

The flip side is that the same people refer to a 20 sq mile atoll as a country . . LOL

By: The Original Truth™

The Original Truth™ — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 12:24:25 +0000

We did not break even on the AC investment so there’s no way the $300,000 was part of the AC. It’s all still borrowed money until we actually clear our debt. Education investments have in most cases proven to increase economic growth. AC is not an event that has been proven to increase growth. AC has even put San Fran in the red the last time they hosted it. It was a pie in the sky and borrowed money should never have been spent on such a gamble.

By: The Original Truth™

The Original Truth™ — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 12:15:38 +0000

I’m sure the golf course made that $25m back over the years after and is still there. AC is gone now and has not made a roi and will not since it is OVER.

By: The Original Truth™

The Original Truth™ — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 12:07:53 +0000

Are you that daft? Do you think that OBA paid for the AC out of the ministers’ pockets? The millions they used was borrowed money just the same. At least PLP is investing it on an investment that is more guaranteed than the AC.

By: Ringmaster

Ringmaster — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 12:07:50 +0000

AC created the Endeavour Program that has benefited over a thousand kids, most who would never have the opportunity to sail. A large part of the proram concentrates on STEM so they also receive an education. There isn’t much praise for that from anti AC brigade.

By: Bullnoseh

Bullnoseh — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 11:58:43 +0000

Er no. That was a 2007 PLP election promise that they didn’t keep.

By: Bullnoseh

Bullnoseh — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 11:57:18 +0000

The OBA allocated $128m to education. Now the PLP allocate $0.3m to education and you think they’re heroes. You’re just suckers.

By: frank

frank — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 11:49:52 +0000

The Ac was a bad investment that’s why Sf did not want it again

By: frank

frank — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 11:45:33 +0000

There is nothing wrong with grand Atlantic
Folks from the Americas cup were living there
I would like to buy a few units

By: Jbda

Jbda — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 11:43:45 +0000

The only allowance “daddy dearest” gives me is a roof over my head, hot meals, and an education both high school and university. I don’t take handouts from anyone and anything I’ve achieved is through my own hard work and ambition. Not all of us “privileged” class Bermudians are as arrogant as you think we are.

By: frank

frank — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 11:39:15 +0000

The Ac was a good investment for a few
An investment in education will Benefit
More people

By: Just the facts

Just the facts — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 11:14:04 +0000

I thought Bermuda College was free?

By: Zevon

Zevon — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 11:07:04 +0000

Pie in the sky is thowing money at something with no hope of a return. Like giving someone $25m to returf a golf course so it can host a 3-day golf tournament that no one is interested in.

By: bee

bee — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 10:52:36 +0000

do we really need to go over the economics AGAIN!

By: bee

bee — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 10:49:53 +0000

er… the $300,000 is not being dropped from the sky dude. it’s coming OUT of some other ministry! or maybe our taxes will go up. Payroll Tax (income tax) is already at 7+%. how much more do you want to give up? that said, i hope the money goes to send 3 people to proper universities. We could use some MIT graduates to push Bda in to the 21st century.

By: bee

bee — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 10:46:28 +0000

it goes to professional desk sitters at the Dept of Ed and they are backed by the BUT. where else can people get fired and re-hired – twice! i ask you! and the PLP would rather just throw money at it then deal with the BUT.

By: Lol

Lol — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 10:33:26 +0000

I agree its not going to revolutionize but its a start. A start that was never given under the ubpoba but was taken from the students and put into an elitist cup! All this fake outrage from these hypocrites who are crying about 300k mean while their govt doubled the debt, pulled millions out of no where while lying at the same time claiming they dont have it. These trolls are ridiculous and have no sense of logic.

By: Coffee

Coffee — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 09:43:59 +0000

Didn’t U people also invest with Bernie Madoff ?

By: Jose

Jose — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 09:24:12 +0000

Love the way dumb folks refer Americas cup as a sailboat race lol” the stupidity of some “

By: Ringmaster

Ringmaster — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 09:14:07 +0000

The $300,000 was probably a small part from the amount earned by Bermuda from the investment in the AC. It would be good if the PLP upheld their pledge of good governance to say where they found the money.

By: cpm

cpm — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 03:18:16 +0000

The Budget gave the College over 15 million so given that most students pay, where does the money go?

By: rumsoak

rumsoak — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 02:58:58 +0000

I feel you brother, but it really is not worth it.

By: cpm

cpm — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 02:46:48 +0000

What is the budget for the college per student before the new allocation

By: The Original Truth™

The Original Truth™ — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 02:05:16 +0000

Still you don’t understand what a Great investment is to a pie in the sky. AC is a pie in the sky that even San Fran with a higher turnout than Bermuda couldn’t break even from let alone a roi. Investing in the knowledge of a nation always has a roi.

By: Frosty

Frosty — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 01:50:29 +0000

Why are you guys wasting your time arguing with Bermuda’s privileged class? They will never get it. Not in a million years as they drink their champagne on their yachts…

Thank you Government for creating opportunities for those that need it! Not everyone can get a thousands of dollars free of charge from daddy dearest.

By: Zevon

Zevon — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 01:38:22 +0000

They don’t have to pay for it. They just borrow more. Seen it before.

By: Zevon

Zevon — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 01:37:18 +0000

Suddenly everyone understands what the word investment means. What a miracle.