Column: What Has Govt Done To Improve Life?

January 24, 2022

Douglas De Couto Bermuda Jan 24 2022[Opinion column written by Dr Douglas De Couto. OBA Candidate for C25 Warwick North East]

Most of us in Bermuda are asking ourselves right now, what has this PLP Government actually done to make the country better? To make our lives better? Has it improved the education of our children? Has it delivered meaningful investment in our economy that creates jobs? Has it made the island safer? And has it improved our basic infrastructure like the roads?

The answers to all of these are no, no, no, and no.

Here’s what we know the Government has been doing recently: Senator Richardson seems to have been using his political position to intimidate his landlady. Premier Burt was on vacation in California, before jetting off to a crypto conference. Wayne Furbert is learning on the job at Works and Engineering. As to most of the other 30-odd MPs and senators, it’s hard to say what they are up to other than taking a paycheck.

Premier Burt continues to fail basic tests of leadership. He is unable to fill an important ministerial role such as Works and Engineering with a capable, competent leader: someone who knows how long things will take and how much they cost.

We will be eager to learn if Premier Burt can pass the test of applying basic discipline to Senator Richardson, especially given the recent Parliamentary Code of Conduct that was passed, never mind basic standards of decency and leadership.

Finally, the entire Cabinet is failing the ultimate test posed by the Coronavirus.

They are unable to respond creatively and dynamically to the quickly changing situation, instead falling back on stodgy bureaucracy and inflexible policies which are holding back Bermuda.

In the Regiment, I learned the Corporal’s Creed which states that “my soldiers’ performance is a reflection of me”. This Government’s performance reflects poorly on David Burt and the entire Cabinet. In an ideal world, and in the interest of all of Bermuda, the remaining PLP backbenchers would hold David Burt and the Cabinet accountable for their dismal performance. However, we have learned not to expect anything from the silent 30, and it will be up to the voters.

Voters will hold politicians accountable to bring the commitment and energy that will create real change in Bermuda, and to be leaders that work for the interest of the public. Voters will demand a government that can carry out its basic functions with competency and compassion. So that one day, the answers to these questions will be yes, yes, yes, and yes: Can my children get a good education? Can I get a job that allows me to live with dignity? Do I have a decent place to live? Am I safe and healthy?

We look forward to that time.

- Douglas De Couto Ph.D., J.P. OBA Candidate for C25 Warwick North East

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Comments (30)

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  1. watching says:

    And this is how the OBA plans to win an election? By casting aspersions on the government and being condescending in their criticisms?

    • Toodle-oo says:

      Seems as though you need a reminder as to how the plp and its supporters acted between 2012 and 2017 .
      And it appears that it worked for them too !

    • partyrockin says:

      Hmmm, where were your criticism when the PLP propaganda machine questioned the OBA. There were protests organized by “non-political” groups like the Peoples Campaign and all sorts of marches, downing of tools and so on for any and every excuse you could think of. Once the PLP was elected the “Peoples Campaign” went away, the marches stopped so all must be good right? The Dr. is asking a question, “what is better today than it was when the PLP took over”? If all is good it should be an easy question to answer!

  2. Vote for Me says:

    This is an obviously cheap political commentary.

    Re Sen Richardson. Does financial hardship disqualify anyone from public office? And does anyone remember Vic Ball when it comes to party discipline?

    As for the MPs, contact them for any comments or suggestions you may have and hold them accountable. Don’t sit back and say your MP has not done anything if you have not contacted them.

    • sandgrownan says:

      Contacting an MP is an exercise in futility, unless you need a Christmas Ham off Flip Flop!

      Re Sen Richardson – no it does not, in itself, but what is questionable is using his political connections to influence the situation.

      • Yahoo says:

        Flip Flop gives out Christmas hams? I live in his constituency and didn’t get one… what’s up with that Flip Flop??

        • Sandgrownan says:

          And turkeys too. He’s actually quite proud of it.

      • Vote for Me says:

        Others have had success when contacting their MPs.

        The comment about using his ‘connections’ is anecdotal as opposed to factual.

        I reassert my earlier comment. Contact your MP and hold them accountable.

    • question says:

      I tried contacting my PLP MP last year. Never got any response at all.

      • Vote for Me says:

        Try contacting them again to see if you get a response. I have found them to be responsive but I did have to be persistent.

        • Question says:

          Why should I have to ‘be persistent’? If my MP is not interested, fine. I’ll vote for someone else.

    • TriedThat says:

      Tried contacting my MP over the holiday period.

      Unfortunately like most of the PLP they were off island vacationing while we were under curfew, so all I got was directed to their voicemail and an out of the office response.

      Financial Hardship doesn’t disqualify you, but let us be honest, Richardson had the means to pay his rent if he had the capability to even moderately balance his budget. I don’t want someone who can’t even do that as a Senator.

      Oh, and the fact he is alleged to have used the fact he is in the PLP against his landlord is also a pretty big stain. The fact it isn’t being refuted extensively is enough to tell you the likelihood of truthfulness, because the PLP are quick to make sure that if it can even be spun a tiny amount they do just that.

  3. trufth says:

    But voters WON’T hold politicians accountable. So you aren’t wrong in everything you say about this Govt’s dismal record, you just aren’t right about expecting the voters to vote for anything different.

    “Thank you sir, may I have another” seems to be the voters’ motto.

    • puzzled says:

      Then stop freekin voting for these a&&^%^.
      I give up.

      Your fingers are on your hand and/or the pen.

    • iyiyi says:

      The only possible long term solution to this monopoly and the voters “motto”
      is not the OBA but a considerable amount of Independents running in as many constituents as possible , that way people like me who helped vote in the PLP and are now not happy with either party can make a start to help balance the numbers in the house.
      Just my opinion .

  4. Really says:

    ObaUbp you sound just as uneducated as the PLP. Another dumb politician trying to score political points. What has the UBP done nothing accept loss more votes and change its name. Welcome to 30-6.

    • sandgrownan says:

      Since 1998, the only growth Bermuda has seen was during the OBA’s single term in Government. In that short time, they achieved more than the PLP would ever dream of, and tried to enact policies that set Bermuda up for the future.

      Instead we got Burt’s “group’, the smoothie drinking hunger striker, and further decline.

      30-6 indeed. Bermuda deserves it.

      • Double S says:

        Note that not one of the PLP defenders actually provided any factual rebuttal? Truth hurts. PLP had decimated BDA both economically and financially.

  5. Really says:

    LOSE!!!!

  6. unknown800k says:

    Depends if your a doctor or unknown entertainer.
    Bunch of hypocrites

  7. imjustsaying says:

    Smells like an election is on the horizon.

  8. Unbelievable says:

    The people criticising this opinion column must be doing so, so well in this new Bermuda. I’m sure they couldn’t come up with one single thing the PLP has done to make Bermuda thriving economy.

    • Horse radish says:

      The UBP writer is just another Muppet trying to get a vote. I rather not vote before I vote this ham in.

      • Double S says:

        That’s what zealots and sycophants do. Not an original thought in your head. And guess what you still can’t answer the question. Truth hurts.

      • Sandgrownan says:

        And right there, ladies and gentlemen, is the problem with Bermuda. Idiots like this who vote or don’t vote based on the “team”.

        How are the PLP working out for you , you utter muppet?

        You failure and debt? Unemployment, s#$t public services? All works for you does it? Idiot.

        • TRUTH says:

          Both parties are racially divided so stop feeding their trolls by calling them muppets. It only creates more tension and the end result is they continue abstaining from voting oba again. Why you think it’s 30-6?

          • Double S says:

            So you vote for an incompetent and immoral Party that negatively impacts the whole of BDA because some anonymous poster said mean things? A

  9. Ringmaster says:

    In other news, this is reported today in the Jamaica Gleaner: Jamaica is experiencing its largest hotel and resort development boom in any single year, with 8,000 rooms, mainly European investor-led, under construction in varying stages. In an interview with The Gleaner from travel and tourism…

    What does Bermuda have to report on the economic front?

    • unknown800k says:

      Because bermuda is stuck on the puppets big idea of bit coin, why not jump on the insure tech thats already established here, but wont be for long with these dreamers.

    • BurtCoin says:

      Heard we got a new crypto called BurtCoin!

      Can get some rare NFTs, high quality behind the scene images of the PLP laughing as the sh*t all over the country too and get paid to do so.