Kempe: ‘PLP Thinks Can Tax Us Into Prosperity’
“This Government is bereft of ideas to stimulate the Bermuda economy,” Shadow Finance Minister Nick Kempe said, asking “why does Government think it can simply tax people into the ground and not share any of the sacrifice.”
Senator Kempe said, “The public can clearly see that this Government is bereft of ideas to stimulate the Bermuda economy. All we are hearing about is all the wonderful ways the PLP thinks it can tax us into prosperity.
“What exactly is the plan to grow the economy? The Minister of Finance complained that he didn’t have an America’s Cup in the foreseeable future so he now feels forced to raise taxes.
Audio of Senator Kempe speaking about last night’s Pre-Budget Town Hall Meeting:
“What has this Government been doing to find that stimulus? The promised Event Authority has not happened. We’ve missed out on being included in Larry Ellison’s Formula 1 of sailing called Sail GP this year because the PLP treated the America’s Cup like it was bad for Bermuda.
“The Gaming Commission is dead in the water after political interference. The BTA has been meddled with too, with effects yet to be seen.
“What does a growing economy look like? For starters, more people on-island. The troves of Bermudians returning to a world of endless opportunities that the PLP promised is clearly not a reality. Who will make up the increased population if the economy does grow? Amazingly, I do not recall immigration being mentioned once last night.
“The PLP has backed themselves into such a corner on this subject that it will take them even longer to complete Immigration Reform than it has taken to agree a new bus schedule. Which Minister is responsible for Economic Development?
The 80-minute live video replay from last night’s Pre-Budget Public Meeting:
“Why does Government think it can simply tax people into the ground and not share any of the sacrifice? The cost of Cabinet has increased every year under this Government,” Senator Kempe added.
“What results were produced by the Minster for Government Reform? What savings were identified by the Efficiency Committee? How is it possible that not one single dollar can be reduced compared to last year’s Government spend?
“Judging by recent events, we have to ask if too much of this Administration’s time and energy has been spent executing the agenda of the person that really controls that party?
“When is the PLP going to start focusing on increasing the prosperity of Bermudians instead of dismantling the progress the OBA made to create jobs, stimulate the economy, reduce the deficit and increase accountability across Government?”
The PLP have no clue what they’re doing with regards to the economy. I only hope and pray that Bermudians wake up so we can vote these idiots out of office in the next election.
That lack of awareness was highlighted by a comment the Minster made. He said taxes have to increase to cover the cost of Government. Not a word about reducing the cost of Government. These people live in a different world. A world that will end shortly and the losers will be Bermudians, led like lambs to the slaughter.
Remember when Fahey said it will be a long time before PLP get back in?
For 5 years Seniors did not get an increase, SpongeBob told them money dont grow on trees then turns around and pull $77 Million out of his @$$ to host a silboat race for Billionaires.
Now they have de recycled SurroGate calling people hypoctites.
OBA are a JOKE.
How are those extra taxes working out for you, you know, to cover the PLP debt?
Seniors may have an increase, but it’s going right back in rent tax.
Clearly you didn’t read the report done by two individual highly respected accounting firms.
to new taxes. Bermudians are hurtng enough.
Why is Cayman and the Channel Islands economies booming and Bermuda’s is wilting on the vine.
Smiple truth is arrogance, nastiness and incompetence.
Time to wake up and compete in the real world.
Bermuda has all the tools.
Crabs in a bucket syndrom is killing us.
I like your mention of Cayman and the Channel Islands. You should look into how much Bermudian money has left here for those places. I think you’ll be surprised at how much Bermudian money has moved there over the past 20 years or so
Best comments by a Shadow Minister ever! Keep telling it like it is Nick
Mr. Kempe has really hit the nail on the head (again). Too late now but it sounds like the plp have changed their tone regarding AC and even the airport. Voters were duped again and now we are really gonna pay the price. I hope it is slowly sinking in with the plp voters what a bad place they have put ALL of us into now.
I seriously doubt anything has sunk in with PLP voters and the state of our economy. It is and always will be your either PLP or your dead to us. We would rather burn the place to the ground if it meant the PLP would be king of the ashes. Are here we are, sitting on a pile of PLP ashes.
Willfully and blissfully ignorant.
Yes, the hypocrisy is simply unbelievable.
>I hope it is slowly sinking in with the plp voters what a bad place they have put ALL of us into now.<
It's been said to my face. It matters naught to them if they don't get theirs , at least you wont have yours anymore.
At some point tough decisions have to be made. You cannot maintain an economy where the Government is the largest employer. the minority paying for the majority. Gov’t jobs should be competitive, but the current state is unsustainable. You should not have people able to move to public sector, work less, get paid more, and have a job for line. Blame it on the Govt of the day for not making tough decisions, and being poor strategisers and planners, blame it on the unions who don’t allow crap and lazy people to be disciplined, it doesn’t really matter, both are at fault. Govt’s are the only operations that decide what to spend and then try and figure out how to pay for it afterwards. Cayman has an interesting model, they have no postal delivery system to homes nor do they have a public bus service. 17 years to change a bus service. What a joke.
I ask what would Kempe do to sustainably stimulate our economy, and what did OBA put in place during the last 5 years to do the same?
Er, you are joking right? Very close to actually balancing the budget (which the PLP put back), new hotels, new airport and the AC. I think had they still been in power we would also have got casinos by now ….
Tell me how many jobs crypto currency and fintech have created?
Were you asleep you Muppet? You are a prime example of why we should not allow stupid people to vote – IQ based voting should be the way forward.
Yup typical OBA – all noise and no substance!
You know what would be nice to see?
Dickinson growing a pair and making government departments reduce their budgets by 10% each.
Then maybe their new taxes might not seem like they’re robbing us blind because they’re too stupid to grow the economy.
remember when ‘the cog’ tried that – nothing happened ..
Clearly not someone of illiterate in finance. Let me make my point clear. If you ever decided to listen or attend one of Bob Richards boring finance meetings open to the PUBLIC, you would have been able to see exactly how the OBA was on the path of balancing out the books.
It doesn’t matter what side you are, but the Fiance Minister that everyone did not like, was absolutely brilliant, and had a real plan. If you even hated the previous government, clearly you would have had some respect for Mr. Richards. I wish he was kept on as a consultant of some kind to help for this government out.
However, we will continuously suffer under this administration. Mof Curtis will not be the saving grace we need at this time.
Bob Richards was not a politician. He understood finance and did what needed to be done, except he should have reduced the Civil Service by about a thousand, but it doesn’t win votes. In the film The American President there is a speech delivered by Michael Douglas that is so accurate. To paraphrase – to win an election you need 2 things. You tell people what they fear and who is to blame. Exactly what the PLP does and continues to do.
So as a self proclaimed Front Street business owner you would give your competition information that would put them ahead of you? This should be good.
Lol. Who has substance in the PLP? Who?
Are you crazy? Is this a real question? Are you really so deluded that you’ve forgotten all the OBA managed to accomplish during the short time they had?
Airport deal
Hotel development in st george
Cruise ship calls to st george when the plp was content to let the old town rot
America’s cup
The triathalon races
Established the bta, that is seeing our tourism numbers going up year over year for the first time in over a decade
Managed to cut 700 civil service jobs WITHOUT FIRING ANYONE
Took a pay cut when the plp gives themselves raises every year
And thats just off the top of my head. I love this country but the PLP seems like they’re out to destroy it. If they keep this up we wont have anything left.
They put in place the work permit policies that the PLP are using to as part of their Economic Substance Act. The same policies that your crew called ‘anti-Bermudian’ when they were instituted.
Do you support the raft of new taxes being proposed by the PLP that will make BDA’s cost of living even higher?
The ONS recognized that we must grow our population or we will slowly crumble.
Pathways to Status was the OBA plan and it was fair, sensible and pragmatic.
Destroyed by narrow minded xenophobic shallow thinking People that will take us all down.
Cayman 35000 – 60,000 people in the last 20 years
Bermuda 65,000-62000 and declining and aging in the last 20 years. No hard to do the math.
The OBA recognized…
“The PLP has backed themselves into such a corner on this subject that it will take them even longer to complete Immigration Reform than it has taken to agree a new bus schedule.”
Bang on.
The truth hurts inna PLP voters. Um jumpin to OBA, all de leg that was hurr before during AC is gone naw.
I find it astonishing that the Minister is basically saying that he wishes he had an AC!
But why not? This Government had a chance of faking advantage of the AC legacy which, like gaming, it has squandered.
Not true at all. The OBA government could have lined something up but they were solely focused on the AC winning them the election.
I am certain they would have pulled out the stops to gets Ellison’s grand prix, they were on course to balance the budget, gaming would have happened by now ……
Building economic prosperity on the basis of a sailboat race outcome is pathetic… the key word being outcome. And it is probably a good idea to encourage such races – that is the ones we own – surely we have a lot more mileage to get out of both the Newport and Marion races. Come on RBYC and RHADC, time to come to the wicket… which reminds me, cricket opportunities if we are to do the sporting thing?
Not sure they did that – refer to the poster above. They introduced a number of measure to a) balance the budge and b) stimulate growth. AC35 was a short in the arm to that strategy and proved Bermuda could host big events. An idea that the PLP have, inevitably, squandered.
Why do you feel the RBYC and RHADC need to come to the wicket? Exactly what should they be doing that they are not already doing?
A better question to ask is if Wayne Furbert competent enough run a small business, let alone stimulate new business? Why dont you share your thoughts with us @Watching?
The continuing hypocrisy (cries over wishing he had an AC) of the PLP is stunning.
The PLP should start with implementing some of the ideas that were brought up in the SAGE COMMISSION for a start.
Are they that blind that they cannot see government spending is now spiraling out of control again and they want to tax the joe public to support their mismanagement.
The Civil Service has grown immensely since they took office.
The ship is sinking, Fin tech is a dream. Man the life boats.
Fintech as the ability to destroy jobs … you never hear the PLP talking about that, do you.
When the PLP were campianing to win the Gvt, why didn’t they mention their potential tax policy thought process?
I think this is another example of “we had to deceive you.”
Poor Poor Bermuda…will we ever learn?
It is the OBA’s fault that the PLP are in power . Blaming the PLP for winning the election is foolish .Blaming the PLP for running the economy the way they see it is also foolish. THIS IS WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE GOVERNMENT. So what went wrong? Craig would not stand up to Dunkley, Gibbons, and Richards .Now Craig is back . Pray for Craig. Dunkley was told the Saturday night before the election that the numbers were wrong ( OBA 11% ahead of PLP ) , but you could not convince him other wise .There is nothing that the PLP have done to date that the OBA could not have done , but they refused . WHY ? Just out of touch with the PEOPLE.Let the PLP run the country .My party, the OBA , has yet to share it’s vision , plans , and goals for Bermuda .
So you’re saying that increasing the cost of living via their new tax proposals is the PLP being in touch with the people?
What exactly have the PLP done that they OBA did not do that has benefitted BDA as a whole?
So you’re advocating for the opposition Party to lay down and be quiet? Are you sure you understand how democracy works? And can I ask why you still claim to support the OBA give your apparent disdain for them? You come off as very confused.
Rodney you need to also tell the oba/UBP that they will lose the next election. Their not accepting the facts. The people are not voting for the old UBP or new UBP. After they lose the next election the OBA/UBP will split and a third party will be created thus forming the BDA again………history will repeat. Only at this time will the people leave.
You’re the only person that cares about this. The rest of us are trying to work out how we are going to pay for all these new taxes on food, rent, and imports (which means TAX ON EVERYTHING), while you fat cats in government sit around in your guaranteed 9-5 jobs taking your 35 days vacation and 70 days sick leave a year while we lose our houses.
Well said, but most of the population have selective hearing.
Build the wall.
Rodney Smith, you’re an idiot! Looking to be validated so you throw shade over the OBA. Despite the lack of aggression the OBA showed during the election, you were in their court. Now that they are the opposition you’re backstabbing. Cross the floor and see how much you’ll gain for your pathetic ambition!
Bob Richards was not a politician. He understood finance and did what needed to be done, except he should have reduced the Civil Service by about a thousand, but it doesn’t win votes. In the film The American President there is a speech delivered by Michael Douglas that is so accurate. To paraphrase – to win an election you need 2 things. You tell people what they fear and who is to blame. Exactly what the PLP does and continues to do.
Doing the right thing to save Bermuda was what the OBA attempted to do but were shouted down at every opportunity.
Bob tried to tax us back to prosperity. I and the forty plus Bermudians whom I employ are direct victims of his poorly thought out schemes and utter lack of interest in listening. He pushed my tax bill up by 400k a year and I was already in the red. He also literally gave the shop away in a lot more ways that his dumb, make work airport project. Mr. Pearman, a good start would be to stop pretending your side came anywhere close to getting it right.
So then just imagine what the PLP’s umpteen new tax proposals is going to do to your business. Might as well close up shop now I guess. Or let me guess, this is different someway, somehow.
PS: Tell us how you feel about the hospital wing project that sees $30mn given to a private firm for 30 years. Let me guess again, that is different someway, somehow.
Sheep.
Remember this date – January 31, 2019 – and the following –
Revelation #1 – the end of our island home’s economic well being as we have known it is fast approaching. Why? Simple. Real estate values. Plummeting due to complete/total lack of confidence/trust in Bermuda. There is NONE! Land. The pen-ultimate Bermudian investment! ALL of us invested in our land, our island – for eons. The PLP will indeed win the next election. (The sheeple will ensure it.) The PLP will indeed win the following election. (Again – the sheeple will ensure it.) The next one? Nope. By that point the value of local mortgages will outweigh the value of properties (the land) and BANG – the fun will then REALLY be upon us. (US housing market crash, version #2, a la BDA – here we come.) Unfortunately it will then, very sadly, be too late. The damage (on so many fronts!) will be so wide spread and far reaching the situation will be irreversible. And there is currently absolutely nothing in front of us to offer even the slightest hint of otherwise.
Revelation #2 – The PLP will cease to exist. Just as it is currently being seen to (and perhaps rightly so) that the UBP disappears into the annals of history, so shall the day come for the PLP. Why? Because with the eventual complete deterioration of our economy (our very livelihoods!) that IS going to occur with Revelation #1, very few will want anything to do with the PLP ever again – the People’s Party that destroyed Bermuda. And yes, that IS how the PLP will be remembered throughout history. Absolutely. The Party that destroyed Bermuda. But then, even though the crowds (those unfortunate enough to be left here) will flock in droves (simply to save their drowning noses from finally going completely under) toward anybody saying anything positive and providing even the smallest flicker of light and hope, it will most assuredly be far too late. Bermuda on the world stage, on so many angles, will be finished. No one will want ANYTHING to do with this island. Trust/confidence completely eroded. Currency devalued, basically, to completely worthless status.
The writing is SO very strongly etched on the wall. (Don’t believe me? Do some research into local property values over the last 15 years or so.)
Don’t say you weren’t warned.
Quo Fata Ferunt!
(Gloom and doom? The truth always hurts much more than fiction!)
You like many whites have no confidence in a black party and refused to invest …….yes I said it. This is the very reason blacks left the UBP and refuse to support the new beast oba/UBP. 25 – 11.
Race card!!
All they got. Notice how they don’t care that their party is reneging on their campaign promise to lower the cost of living in Bermuda and how they cheer for them louder? Very strange. When prices inevitably rise due to their tax increases they will inevitably blame everyone else for having to pay more for everything.
“You like many whites have no confidence in a black party and refused to invest ”
FALSE. You’re too racist to integrate with modern society. Quit your complaining.
25 – 11
Wow maybe we should all go hide under a rock and die? What a pessimist view and the main reason why we fail! Get behind the PLP and let’s all carry our piece of the load! Too long has white elitists had it soo good and now when we need to rebuild and invest in infrastructure and people they get all nervous and quote scripture? Too bad. Your mothers and fathers led privileged lives on other’s backs and left you an unsustainable legacy! Time to be a citizen and do more with less and give me and expect nothing in return. We either all cross the line together or we all fail! So endeth the lesson!
“Too long has white elitists had it soo good ”
Racists like you bore me. You’re nothing but a whiner.
If the plp were to tax their base how many would jump ship?