Column: Does Premier Think Voters Are Suckers?
[Opinion column written by OBA candidate Vic Ball]
The purposefully provocative title reflects the only possible conclusion I could come to as to how Premier Burt views Bermudian voters. Why else would he call a snap election now and expect to win?
After only three years of a five-year term, is he not trusting that constituents will be so gullible that they will risk their health and even their very lives to vote for him and his candidates during a pandemic? With so much time to go, the poor state of the country economically under his leadership and the severe health risks, what was the urgency?
Could it be that the Premier knows that today will be our best day for a long time? Over 700 additional jobs will be lost with the announcement that Fairmont Southampton will close for two years. This is in addition to many other closures of businesses and job losses over the last few months.
International Business is consolidating, resulting in more job losses. Retail sales have been devastated causing the loss of over 200 employment positions. If these were not bad enough, we have hundreds of Bermudians fleeing to seek opportunities abroad. To top it all, the debt is spiraling out of control, forcing ever higher taxes.
The Premier’s fintech economic stimulation initiative has failed. We are now hearing details of a Government loan for $800,000. But who knew that our Government was in the loan business? Meanwhile, the press was attacked for revealing the truth to the public.
There was the Dr. Ewart Brown payout scandal, the Tawanna Wedderburn firing scandal and a slew of other scandals dealing with the Department of Child and Family Services. Add to this the pandemic economic fallout, taking prison officers to court and Cabinet Minister resignations for doing what others were fined thousands of dollars for and threats of jail time.
The only ray of light of this whole sad Premier Burt leadership saga is credit given for following the international playbook to handle the Covid-19 pandemic, so far. Yet the Premier is banking on voters being suckers with short memories and low expectations with the hope that the Covid-19 moment can be seized regardless of his legacy of failure after failure.
In light of all of our grave national challenges, how could this alone convince the Premier to decide to rush to the polls early? Sadly, the Premier fully expects victory in spite of his abysmal track record and the worsening plight of everyday Bermudians.
The Premier’s platform hammers home what he thinks of the Bermudian voter. Once again, his plan is full of the most fanciful, unbelievable and outlandish promises without regard to how they will be paid for.
Bermuda, let us be honest. The Premier is first and foremost aiming to secure salaries for himself and his colleagues over the next five years. Waiting six months or two years to call the election would risk more and more bad news and the dwindling of support from voters. It is plain for all but the blind to see that under Premier Burt’s leadership, the worst is yet to come.
Knowing this the Premier has decided to seize the moment. With some spin and a few speeches, he believes Bermudians will be none the wiser.
The proof will be in the pudding of how or if Bermudians vote PLP on October 1, 2020.
- Vic Ball
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Yes, to answer the headline, which is why they have done nothing to improve public schools education since 1998. Educated people think for themselves and are not brainwashed to follow the directions of the elite.
I can understand your opening sentence and some might debate it, but I didn’t think it was necessary to insult the proud members of the UBP/OBA with your second one. Yes, educated people should think for themselves, but unfortunately some of them (notice I didn’t say all) have sided with the elite because they follow the money and represent the OBA because that’s how they can get ahead in the private sector. What we need is a viable (and I stress viable) third option to keep the two leading parties on their toes. There’s lots of money and elites behind the OBA and I don’t think that’s what the part founders intended before it was high jacked. If the OBA wants some of the votes that have traditionally voted PLP, they need to make a visible stand against some of the elites who steer the party towards their personal interests. Until then they’ll always be on a mission to distract the voters from seeing the puppet masters behind the curtains pulling the strings l.
Nice try, but you have clearly got a keyboard that auto corrects. UBP/OBA is UBP/PLP and OBA is PLP but otherwise what you say is correct.
You obviously need to read up on your Bermuda political history and talk to some older folks and their experiences (like how some of the UBP members actually got some good stuff done before the pilferers came onboard or “the other bank” that was going to start) or talk to some Bermuda “old money” in an environment where they feel comfortable being blunt or have had a couple bumpers in. Funny thing is I know OBA supporters who also feel that one major problems with the party. So instead of my text changing autocorrect, how about you take off those rose colored glasses.
But on a serious note, the money and race involvement in Bermuda politics needs to stop. There are people who will always vote OBA because they are seen as the “white” party and folks who will never vote “PLP” for the same reason. Being totally honest when the OBA started there were lots of people who looked at them as that viable third choice, but then they started taking on all the UBP politicians in mass and in turn all of the skeletons that came with them. People feel duped because they feel like they feel like they saw a “bait and switch”. The same way that I feel that there are people that associate themselves with the PLP because they feel like they’ll be there for a while, there are people who associate themselves with the OBA because there is money to be made because it has happened… more than once. Let one of the OBA representatives stand against the party on a topic and watch what happens to their personal finances. The burden is on the OBA to prove that the elites aren’t pulling the strings in order to get at the PLP’s voter base and they won’t do it… because they can’t.
Exactly!!! Yet there are far too many who will never understand this.
PLP called the election because they feared the FDM party would end their reign, And had to call an election before the FDM could fully fill candidates for seats.
How did Arbitrade by Victoria place, what sweet deal did they get, did they physically pay US dollars for it, if so how much. Seems strange to buy a building and not use it all don’t you think. Who in the PLP benefited from this deal, and how much did the taxpayer have to swallow.
We need the PLP out, so we can start finding out the truth about where our money has gone.
If we hadn’t spent like bandits under the PLP (including our finance minister causing the Morgan’s point debt to become our debt by paying the debt when it wasn’t due) then we would have had money to support jobs and the tourism industry through this tough time.
Why did the PLP kick up such a fuss over TNTatem and then close it themselves. The mold existed in their former reign.
Why have the PLP changed ministers so many times in the 3 years. What are they hiding, or are all the appointed ministers abject failures. Why in times of need do we have more consultants, committees and the most expensive cabinet ever. Why didn’t Burt take a real pay cut, instead of starving the pension fund.
Why haven”t Caines and Desilva been prosecuted and fined like other Bermudians. For COVId rule breaches.
The PLP are not very slick with propaganda and media snake oil salesmanship. Are you going to be conned again?
Push Burts buttons, it is quite interesting seeing him squirm and get defensive. It reveals much about a person.
Exactly, then he apologizes and says he’s grown and a better person now… looking for sympathy look between sheet and sympathy in the dictionary.
Can you imagine furbert tweedy and the premier should the opposition had done this..
#wheresthemarchers
Truth says:
September 25, 2020
Go right along and vote for the leader who received 350k from a hotelier that was for the OBA party. Which we all know the OBA didn’t receive.
So do the voters call that a dishonest trust issue or trickery?
I think he does but he and his twist the truth FoF party forget there are those of us out here who have very good very long memories and I for one will never ever let them rest. Loyts of the crap they pulled is sheer treachery and abuse of so called privilege .of being in power. Power being your key word. Not to condone what the so called 40 thieves did but they left money in the kitty and people were content.
next step DICTATORSHIP and even eyes wide open won’t like that!!!!
…..but when the UBPoba was in charge 40 years you folks didn’t have a problem! So why change the name?
The UBP constitution was weighted down by a last century constitution that made development and changing the status quo was difficult. OBA was a whole new party with a new constitution ( the way it works). They were inclusive of all and any who wanted to step up to the plate. The UBP people eventually let go Of the UBP and some of them decided to step up to the plate With the OBA. OBA is a whole new ethos and not weighed down with historic BS that the UBP had in terms of representing our country.
Of course the PLP have that same issue today, they are weighed down by their constitution and have a mandate that was relevant in the last century, but is a burden on them today, They need to change things, but they cannot under the PLP,
All I know is the OBA worked hard to make Bermuda better for all Bermudians despite having no budget to work with. They were succeeding, despite the rhetoric, orchestrated clubs of people to verbally attack the OBS at every opportunity. The PLP has a very few better off, whilst the majority of people have less money to spend and less opportunities since the PLP have been in power.
If you see things differently, please speak up.
Please learn to proof-read before you leave a comment
It’s Victoria HALL not Victoria Place.
Vitoria Place has absolutely nothing to do with the government.
Thank you.
understand but the point is obvious isn’t it?????????
We are at a crucial crossroad we either search and hope for a government that will look for avenues to encourage economic recovery and immigration reform or we vote for the plp who have failed every man woman and child in country. They have plundered us into 3 billion dollars in debt and have no managemnet skills and don’t have the expertise required
plp most not be returned to government a vote for the green machine is a vote for future disaster
Simple vote OBA or FDM i dont care even if they need to form a coalition government
The current government are like a bunch of children. They remind me of a group of 10 year olds who have just broken a window. When the police come and ask who did it, they all point to the other kid. It was him, no it wasn’t I didn’t do it, it was him. PLP you are the current government, get on with governing this island in a mature manner.