Vexed Bermoothes

It is remarkable that Dr. Brown & Cabinet would allow the cruise ships to open their shops while in port in competition with Bermuda retailers … without ever making any effort at all to talk about it with Bermudian businesses.

You know, the ones that employ Bermudians and pay Bermudian taxes.

At a press conference yesterday, Chamber of Commerce boss Diane Gordon echoed complaints about the lack of consultation regarding the move saying she learned about it in The Royal Gazette. Mrs. Gordon said the proposal to allow cruise ships to open bars and signature shops had received a mixed reaction from retailers. “Giving them the opportunity to entertain with shops and gambling, a wide range of entertainments, will suggest to some people that there’s no reason to leave the ship,” said Mrs. Gordon.

“We look forward to continued dialogue about this. A lot of our members say they will continue doing what they are doing and if numbers don’t come, they’ll have to cut back. We’re not taking a negative response to this. Shops on ships are more specialty stores, but I understand that they’re duty free, which is a problem. The only thing negative is I’m disappointed a dialogue did not occur. To pick up a newspaper and see these things are done — it’s disconcerting.”

This is a mirror of the bombshell that Dr. Brown dropped last year with his proposed racial quotas law. It shows an incredible lack of respect for his community.