C12 Independent Candidate Marilyn Steede
Independent candidate Marilyn Steede — who will be running in Constituency #12 Devonshire South Central — released her manifesto for the 2025 General Election.
Marilyn Steede’s manifesto:
I am Marilyn Steede and I have registered to repeat as an Independent Candidate in the upcoming February 18, 2025 General Election race, and again for C12 Devonshire South Central.
My reason for throwing my hat in the mix, remains as I asserted for the 2020 General Election – the Stewarts of Bermuda and her residents have failed, and continue to fail us.
Let us reflect on world renowned genius, Albert Einstein’s theory = “INSANITY is doing the same thing, the same way repeatedly, and expecting a different result.”
I hereby set-out below a “synopsis” of my selected issues requiring resolving and / or remedy:
Gun Violence and Gun Crimes:
- How did these Guns and Ammunition get into Bermuda?”
- Bermuda’s solution to the level of gun violence/ / crimes is 50% solved in light of the answer to my question.
Vicious Dog Breed Attacks [namely Pit Bull]:
- Minister Roban reports that there are over 2,000 illegal Pit Bulls on the island.
- Junior Minister Lindsay Simmons intimated that owners are breeding these dogs.
- If such puppies are being sold, then is Bermuda being dis-advantaged of much needed Revenue Earnings that we should be deriving from the importation of these dogs?
- Do the owners have official Licence to breed dogs? [Bermuda Dogs Act]
- Minister Roban reported that there have been 384 Pit Bull related incidents, inclusive of:
- an attack on one of our visitors;
- the death of a family pet cat;
- the killing of a family pet dog witnessed by the family’s 2 small children.
- How does the knowledge of such statistics go un-addressed by the powers that be – to the horrific endangerment of our residents and visitors?
- In the event of another animal, or God forbid, “the death or maiming of a human being”, I recommend that the dog be euthanised and its owner be incarcerated.
School Closures:
- Closing our schools is a calamitous decision and will boomerang to our detriment.
- Also, lest we forget 2 previous unfortunate school closures of yesteryear – namely The Hotel College at the Stonington Beach Hotel = and the Howard Academy, a Trades school.
Fishing Regulations:
- I sincerely hope that the O.B.A. and the F.D.M. have both made an Election Promise that they will include input from members of the Fishermen’s Association of Bermuda regarding our current and future long-term Fisheries Regulations.
Academic Reform:
- I have viewed CITV’s production regarding Charter Schools, and I have surmised that once a student selects their preferred area of learning, then he / she will be limited to focusing on that path. It is my concern that if that is correct, our students might chance not embracing the never-ending range of life’s career paths available to them which are literally endless.
- I advocate that we should encourage our students to be Renaissance Men and Women = knowledgeable, educated, or proficient in a wide range of fields.
Portuguese Bermudians:
- #1 – I unequivocally propose that we incorporate the tutelage of the Portuguese language to our education curriculum – commencing at the primary level grades.
- #2 – I propose that we very seriously consider making Bermuda a “Bilingual” island.
- The first Portuguese immigrants arrived in Bermuda onboard a sailing ship, making port in Hamilton carrying 58 men, women and children on 6th November 1849 [175 years ago].
- We must not ignore the immeasurable contributions to Bermuda’s economy by the late, decades-long, Portuguese immigrant Mr. Eddie DeMello.
- Kudos also to Portuguese resident, Chef Anthony Deponte Sousa who represented Bermuda, and won the Jeunes Chefs Rotisseurs competition in Istanbul Turkey, in 2023.
- I challenge anyone who refutes the Portuguese community’s innumerable contributions to Bermuda’s economy.
Emmigrants:
- I interpret the exodus of Bermudians to reside overseas is that Bermudians are actually running away from their birthright country at their own free will.
- Also, they are gifting the job market, housing market, entrepreneurial opportunities, to our guest workers.
Bermuda’s Total Population:
- It is absolutely difficult to comprehend that Minister Hayward has shared that he does not have a total of the number of Bermudians who have emigrated to England or elsewhere.
- With that said, do we even possess records of [i] number of Birth Residents on the island; [ii] number of Guest Residents; [iii] Bermuda’s Total Resident Population?
- I feel certain that every country in the world [now with the exception of ourselves] know the number of residents that comprise their total population, including the exact number of Bermudians residing in their country.
U.K. Travel Agents’ Warnings:
- The media reported that the British Government has issued a travel advisory to its travellers to Bermuda – cautioning them of a recent bout of random attacks on both residents and visitors by vicious Pit Bull dogs; and Bermuda’s increased serious crime level.
- My concern is that on the other side of this coin, we [Bermuda] must be vigilant to prevent ALL of our overseas travel agencies from learning of Minister Roban’s statics regarding the estimated number [over 2,000] of illegal Pit Bulls on the island and also the number of recent attacks [384] by this dog breed.
Pink Sand:
- When riding on the bus or waiting at the Hamilton Bus Terminal, I am often asked by our visitors – “Which beach should we visit to see pink sand?”
- I tell them that with the increase of hurricanes actually thrashing the island, the pink crystals are being washed away.
- On 2 separate occasions, the group of visitors remarked that their travel agents and Bermuda can be accused of false advertising.
- One woman said that she will certainly pass on to her travel agent that they did not actually see “pink sand on the beach” – only in the little souvenir containers that they purchased.
- I propose that Bermuda Tourism Authority get on top of the Pink Sand issue before the overseas Travel Agents mention it, because then we will need to [pardon my expression] – resemble a dog chasing its tail – in an effort to defuse the issue.
Price Control [Goods, Services and Housing]:
We as concerned residents have options to explore in an attempt to challenge “rising costs” and ‘fees’:
- Residents’ Options:–
- #1 – Protest by way of “BOYCOTTING” specific goods and services.
- #2 – Protest by way of BOYCOTTING specific Merchants / Service Providers.
- #3 – Protest by ADVOCATING that “Same Name Brand Merchandise be priced the same island-wide.
- #4 – DEMONSTRATE our power to the Merchants, Service Providers, and Government = after all WE control their bottom line “profits / Loss”.
- Government’s First and Main Option:–
- To sanction price controls – including housing.
Cannabis – [Consumption and Cultivation]:
- During the 2024 Budget Debate, the Attorney General reported that “work continues to finalise the creation of a licensing authority which would allow people to ‘possess more’ of the drug’; to ‘grow’ it; to harvest’ it; to ‘sell’ it; and to ‘export’ it. Personally, on behalf of Bermuda residents’ welfare – I cannot approve such licences.
What Do I Bring To The Political Table?:
- I am confident in saying that I bring 100% of each component of my campaign acronym R.I.D.E – [Respect, Integrity, Dedication, Ethics]. I will never compromise my principles.
My Primary Focus:
- It is my desire to ensure to be a voice for our “grass-roots” community.
Summary:
- I quote yet again from the renowned world-famous Mark Twain after visiting Bermuda on 8 occasions, staying on the island for months at a time. He proclaimed:- “You can go to Heaven if you want, I’d rather stay in Bermuda.”
- I ask Bermuda’s electorate – “Do you think that Mark Twain would relay the same ideology today – with regard to our landscape; our hospitality, our level of crime?”
Apology:
- I still have a lot more constituents to visit. – but, I am out there and will be until the last possible day.
- I beg of you not to hold it against me if you haven’t visited you as yet.
For full coverage of the 2025 Election and past elections, visit the links below, with comprehensive coverage available on our network website BermudaElections.com, the leading source of data and election videos.
- All: Our coverage of the 2025 General Election here
- 2025 Candidates: List of the 110 candidates
- Constituencies: Data/past results of all 36 constituencies
- Videos: Over 200 videos spanning multiple elections here
- Official: The Government’s election website here
- Comprehensive: Our BermudaElection.com website here
Wth is that lol?