Municipalities Bill Passes In House Of Assembly
The Municipalities Reform Act 2019 passed in the House of Assembly last night, paving the way for Government to repeal elections in the City of Hamilton and the Town of St. George, and continue the corporations as quangos.
MPs voted 22 – 7 in favour of advancing the Bill, with the audio of the session indicating that PLP MPs present voted in favour, while the OBA MPs that were present voted against the Bill.
Audio of the voting held on the Bill in the House of Assembly last night:
The Government has previously stated, “This Government believes that the City of Hamilton and the Town of St. George must be rejuvenated in order to attract more visitors and greater investment opportunities for our island and its people.
“Government’s vision for the City of Hamilton is a ‘smart city’ infrastructure with a thriving residential centre and entertainment hub with distinct districts. Meanwhile, our vision for the Town of St. George is one that includes a mega-yacht port and marina with enhanced infrastructure, amenities and activities.
“Unfortunately, neither Corporation has the financial means to make the necessary investment needed to make this vision a reality. Government believes that the two levels of Government [national and municipal] can no longer operate in economic or decision-making isolation, which is why we made municipal reform a priority.”
Video of the Town Hall held about the matter earlier this month:
Hamilton Mayor Charles Gosling previously stated, “This Act essentially strips the rate-payer in the City of their voting right, including the residents.
“This Act will disenfranchise the rate-payers, giving them little to no say, no voice when it comes to City matters. It is entirely undemocratic. It is taxation without representation.
“‘With the appointment of five of the Members by the Minister as well as his authority to appoint the Selection Committee that appoints the remaining four Members, he essentially has complete control over who now governs the City.
“‘The Government also needs to stop using the word ‘quango’. It is entirely misleading. By definition a quango is funded by the Government. I didn’t see anything in the budget that allocates funds to the City of Hamilton.”
The Municipalities Reform Bill 2019, as tabled in the House, follows below [PDF here]
Ah the fleecing of Bermuda continues….
Where is the People’s Campaign????? Oh that’s right, the PLP are in power, so they are on stand-down. Once the OBA win power back they will be instructed to use crowds to shut down Parliament. By that time we’ll all be catching grunts on the rocks for lunch.
In an alternate universe, what do you think would have happened if the OBA tried to pass this bill?
Tweed and the girls would have picketed and yelled and screamed. Has the kernel announced which day trash will be collected in the city? Have they fixed those pretty fire thingies?
I will tell you what would have happened if the OBA tried to pass this bill…that talk show would have her community and the same old callers who she controls,demanding and calling for some sort of retaliation… and guess who will just happen to show up at her show ..the so called Rev Tweed…it is so sad that her community as she calls them believe every word that comes out her mouth…
Centuries of minipulation by de organized elite club…………
Oh yeah, we all know the *real* reason for this – it’s get even time with the added bonus of maybe some payback. It’s never been about development.
Stop with the bullshit. Bermuda would be nothing and your grandparents would have never come here without people putting up their OWN capital and starting businesses. You idiot.
yes OJ, the majority population of Bermuda are elitists. privileged, arrogant, oppressive elitists. You’re one of them.
you get what you voted for
Ah great, so they get to bollocks up the Municipalities now.
Nothing more than a cash and power grab. DeZilva’s comments are, for a change, refreshingly honest, they want leaders who will do their bidding.
Oh I get it now… ‘They’ you say? So when the OBA gave our Airport to a foriegn entity you had no problem, but when the LOCAL Gov’t absorbs a local entity it’s a power & cash grab… Oh right they’re PLP people, I forgot that part… Carry on.
You keep saying that, but it doesn’t make it true. You know, if the PLP hadn’t saddled us with such a debt for generations, we could have paid cash for a new airport. Idiot.
Hamilton Mayor Charles Gosling previously stated, “This Act essentially strips the rate-payer in the City of their voting right, including the residents.”
Is there any tea we can dump into the harbour in protest?
Was he around when we were stripped of our voting rights?
If he was, what was his stance.
Oh the GALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When were you stripped of your voting rights?
Up until Universal Adult Suffrage.
Next.
I didn’t know you were that old….but I get it…it’s about power and control. And it’s “your” turn.
And as usual that’s a load of rubbish as well . Do you even know that there were black landowners in Bermuda at the time of emancipation when whites didn’t own property and thus could not vote ?
Re-writing history as per normal .
It’s entirely OJ’s fault. Bermuda schools don’t teach Bermuda history anymore.
“Re-writing history as per normal .”
it’s the only way. The majority population is not well educated, by their own choice. They prefer to be ignorant bigots, it’s all they know.
Is Gall your new word?
Given that the Government (House of Assembly) only voted to strip us of our voting rights today, I would say yes!
Now I am HAPPY!!!!!
But you’re the poster who advocates for IB to leave Bermuda. So if it makes you happy it is probably not the right thing to do.
You know what the say about ignorance?
Nessum Dorma.
“Unfortunately, neither Corporation has the financial means to make the necessary investment”
Neither does Bermuda.
Too true ! I guess there is going to be some interesting financing for the Hamilton waterfront. Maybe , aecon will be involved. Relax, it’s just a joke !
Ya, like we didnt have money for Seniors “Money dont grow on trees, you just dont get it”
Then SpongeBob turns around and pulls $77Million out of thin air to host a sailboat race for Billionaires.
SMH
What’s the obsession with Seniors? I get trying help the vulnerable but it seems to be at the expense of everything else.
What about the youth who will be dealing with the PLP debt and ineptitude for generations?
Ya, like giving away $35Million a year for 30 years for our beautiful airport.
You can keep saying it – but if we didn’t have the PLP debt we could have paid for the airport in cash and have plenty left over for senior’s lunches.
The fact we don’t is your fault. Idiot.
$2.5bn in debt and ‘real’ Bermudians still struggling and no better off under de Pee El Pee. How you explain det dur?!?! Hahahaha!! Keep drinking de titty milk!!
Your Party just made BDA that much more expensive with all their tax hikes. Hope you and yours suffer greatly because of it. Your blind support deserves nothing less.
It is obvious that the PLP, want to get rid of people that have an opinion that does not agree with them,how in hell would exempt companies want to come here…NOT
I thought the Government majority was 25? Only 22 voted, so who were the missing 3? Were they MPs of St George’s perhaps who knew they couldn’t vote against or they would be unemployed, and so had a bathroom break?
I know two (St Geo) didn’t show. It’s probably better not to show than to vote against your party (or against your constituents wishes)
They are cowards then.
All St.Geo MPs were in attendance and can be heard on the audio above so who are you referring to?
What are their names?
The things happening on this island these days are so surreal! It’s really hard to wrap ones brain around it. It’s like playing a bad games of SIMS where you do everything wrong just to see what will happen. When will they start seizing our assets?
They have essentially already begun seizing our assets with their tax hikes this budget with more to come in future ones.
And there we have it folks, one more thing for the PLP to ruin with their incompetence and penchant for cronyism!
They don’t even care that the spotlight is on Bermuda right now. No doubt people in high places in the UK and Brussels have had a look online to gauge the integrity of the current government. They would not be inclined to help a government that is acting the way these guys are acting. The PLP can convince their faithful that this is a benevolent act. Everyone else, including those overseas, will not have the same view and will see it for what it really is.
I thought we were a democratic country, seems as though I was wrong on that. Same thing happened when the ATV’s were given the go ahead even though there were many against it, so I guess we have to believe that this Gov. is not transparent as they say and they hold these town hall meetings just to say that they did, ridiculous and quite honestly scary. Be prepared Bermuda, you know the over budget will come into affect on anything they do, so remember I said it. IC will be swimming in dough, just you watch it wonlt go to tender either, wonder how many will complain about that.
Well at least they didnt sneak in de House 5:00 clock in de morning.
No one ever accused the PLP of starting work early in the morning.
Perhaps they would have met the EU deadline if the had got in early a few times.
Haha! PLP only come early for dinner.
And someone else is paying for it!
At least OBA supporters aren’t anti-democratic like you lot.
Lol – This is it… How are these people up in arms over this, when they sat by and watched Billions in Airport Revenue go to a company that is NOT even Bermudian….and endorsed it? smh And they would like you to belive that you are the racist one?
Your still smarting at that , inna ? LOL
That’s how you beat the ‘No, No , No’ brigade !
the plp got fooled by people who went to work early. LOL
Uighers
Didn’t the OBA try to do this a few years ago? And when they did, didn’t all the PLP scream foul and say things like ‘land grab’ and ‘power grab’ and ‘new masters’ etc.? I think they did
their hypocrisy knows no bounds. thanks for voting them in so that they can rob us again
someone call the police. There has been another daylight robbery and this time it took place simultaneously in Hamilton and St. Georges. Reports are that it was a total and absolute smash and grab of the entire Corporations!
Bermuda is another world. You can say that again. The only place where regular weekly shop and house robberies happen, now includes entire corporations!
PLP = experts at the dubious, ill fated race to the bottom.
No, a robbery looks more like the Airport deal that you and your kind endorsed.
But yet you and your kind fully embrace the hospital wing deal that sees $30mn paid to a private firm for 30 years.
Hahahaha.
And that hospital wing didn’t win any awards. In fact it created a bed shortage.
“..you and your kind…”
Nice. Bermudians. Friendliest people on Earth.
The deal that won an award? You’re as much of a joke as OJ.
Robbery looks more like a $4m contract turned into a $24m contract. Someone get this guy 2 medals. One for being an idiot and the other in case he loses it.
@mixitup
and………….what exactly is ‘my kind’ ?
Never had I thought the day would come where I starved evaluating the costs of liquidating my assets and leaving the my homeland.
Too funny you should say that, I just finished putting together our numbers. Scary that we’re both thinking the exact thing. Sad part is I-I think there are a lot more do exactly the same thing
Neither Roban or Burch, to my knowledge, have ever been employers yet insist they know best. Maybe they could point out anything their party has been involved in that was completed on budget or is run successfully???
Won`t be long now, failure is a certainty!!
Well, if the PLP manage the corporations the same way they manage the trash collection, education, the postal service, works and engineering and deadlines we are finished.
lord have mercy..with so called leaders like Burch,who said ‘we dont care about you” who do you think he was talking about? and to think the P.L.P. think that potential international business want to come to Bermuda to do business..Bermuda has become very racict,the Cayman Islands do not have this childish situation..
Wow, completely out voted by all and then still take it when Bermuda told you No! I guess we live in a dictatorship. Disgusting government, don’t give a f bout Bermudians.. This is unforgivable
This is the act of a government moving towards autocracy. The fact that we know the “consultation” was a sham, and that this is them finally getting something they wanted since 2009. It’s the last vestige of “white oligarchy” in their eyes and as much an emotional action as anything else.
We know what happened last time with the Night mayor, the black mayors scam conference and the par le ville debacle. Roban will now attempt to rewrite history.
This is perhaps more disturbing than the EU blacklist since it show the PLP at their naked worst – devious power hungry authoritarians. DeSilva was at least honest on his comments.
They will undoubtedly mess this up, as they do with everything they touch, but by the time the idiot masses stop drooling enough to figure it out, I fear it will be too late.
The more things change
Is anyone planning to protest this BS? Our island really is going from bad to worse…fast. If anyone is planning a protest please add in the comments.
Funny all this attention on St George’s yet no one cared to offer them any assistance over the years. The Corporation of St Georges has failed it’s people. Where is the vision and strategy? How will the Corporation of St George’s raise money. IMO the members of Corporation of St George’s FAILED! they want to stick the hands out for my taxing paying dollars but don’t want think how they can raise their own money! St George’s is dead, they have failed. The Mayor and her team have done nothing! It is time for change.
You are right Mayor Francis, we won’t forget how you spoke well, tried to be nice but you actually didn’t do a damn thing to advance the town. Leave the Act as it is, so we can vote for a Mayor with a real vision for the town… now let’s be honest!
Will a new Mayor bring vision? How many have just enjoyed wearing the chain around their neck. St. Georges needs to be bold. Choose your representatives wisely. The Corporation has failed you, that’s why the Town is dead. I don’t want my tax payer dollars wasted anymore, I want to see results.
Rearranging chairs on the deck of the Titanic, is this.