The Southlands saga takes another step as the Southlands team makes its presentation to Cabinet today. I don’t buy the official explanation that there was “too much concrete” in the proposal to explain Government’s foot dragging. I do think we need to plan Morgan’s Point carefully – but I don’t think that’s what’s going on [...]
Entries from March 16th, 2010
Rebalancing
March 13th, 2010 · Comments Off · Bermuda Politics, Economy
Finance Minister Paula Cox admits that she must “rely on the residual goodwill” within the business community. And that there sums it up: they’ve been relying on the residual goodwill for so long that there’s not much goodwill left but residue. She also scoffs at the business community’s squeals at being squeezed so hard to [...]
Tags:Budget
PATI
March 11th, 2010 · Comments Off · Accountability, Transparency
Dr. Brown has again promised that PATI (freedom of information) legislation will be tabled before the House of Assembly this year. Let’s hope it incorporates the substantial feedback that was provided by both Bermudians and international experts in public access laws. Meanwhile, the Cayman Islands Information Commissioner has launched a new website on their PATI [...]
Bermuda’s Biggest Problem
March 10th, 2010 · Comments Off · Bermuda Politics
The biggest problem with this years budget is that, even with the big tax increases, it still leaves the Bermuda Government operating with a substantial annual deficit ($145,000,000 deficit for this year’s operations, and $1,065,000,000 for the Consolidated Fund). A reduction in Government spending is the only option, or we’ll be faced with even larger [...]
Tags:Budget
Think Pink
March 10th, 2010 · Comments Off · Tourism
The Bermuda Department of Tourism will sponsor pink taxicabs in the City of London sporting Bermuda shorts and Dr. Brown’s “feel the love” tagline. Here’s another idea. All Bermudian politicians and civil servants travelling on taxpayer dollars should wear pink Bermuda shorts with knee socks to all meetings, meals, and public events during their trip. [...]
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2010 Budget Debate
March 9th, 2010 · Comments Off · Bermuda Politics
The “Road to Ruin” budget is an important one, as it deals in levels of Government expenditure and debt never seen before in Bermuda. As in previous years, Government does not make it easy for the citizenry to watch what they are up to. They do not make the debate schedule publicly available on the [...]
Tags:Budget
Cheap Sales Tactics
March 8th, 2010 · Comments Off · Bermuda Politics, Independence
Former Premier Alex Scott has said that he is concerned that the Green Paper on Gaming released by Government last week is “selling” the idea of gambling, rather than educating the public on the subject. Indeed. Of course, the exact same thing could have been said about Alex Scott’s own “Bermuda Independence Commission” boondoggle a [...]
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Plantation Rhetoric Makes a Comeback
March 7th, 2010 · Comments Off · Bermuda Politics
Well, the PLP’s years of mismanagement are finally becoming clear. You see it’s easy to look successful in a booming economy. But after years of coasting downhill, it’s clear that even after 12 years in power the PLP are still wobbling on training wheels. The economy is slumping. The “Road to Ruin” budget promises to [...]
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Gambling
March 5th, 2010 · Comments Off · Tourism
So, the high stakes Dr. Brown’s casino consultants have coughed up their Bermuda Gaming Green Paper that says … surprise … that Bermuda should allow casinos. They do at least have the common sense to downplay lotteries and online gaming. The consultants report weighs the scenarios of one big casino in town, or one in [...]
Tags:Casino
Road to Ruin
March 5th, 2010 · Comments Off · Economy
The UBP has given their Reply to the PLP’s Disasterous 2010 Budget. It is scathing. Read it below the hop. They focus on a few areas in particular: “The Government is banking on a recovery taking place this year. We believe recovery this year is unlikely. Imposing tax increases at this time is the wrong [...]
Tags:Budget