Vexed Bermoothes

It appears that journalist Roger Crombie has been term limited out.

This is a bad and self-defeating move:  he’s the best known business journalist associated with Bermuda, and his coverage of Bermuda’s international sector has contributed significantly to the island’s reputation and growth.  He is well respected, and conversant with the leaders of all aspects of our international business, from the Bermuda-based executives themselves to the wide array of analysts and “gateway” advisers who refer business to Bermuda.

He also seems to really love Bermuda … and that translates into media power that no PR firm or marketing budget can provide.

The expulsion sends this message to many people:  if you are an expat, no matter how much you contribute to Bermuda’s success, piss off the wrong person and it’s sayonara time.

He makes this point regarding the futility of term limits:

Bermuda first implies that there’s a second. The idea behind work permit term limits has somehow been transduced into a political punishment, almost exclusively visited on local employers…

Every other country in the world is desperately trying to hang on to talent, because the competition for the best is intense. Bermuda doesn’t seem to want the best any longer. In the long run, that can only mean one thing: Bermuda second.

We’ve been through this before, when another talented business journalist was shown the door through rough politics and an enemy was made in a way that is reflected in nearly every issue of his offshore publications.  Mr. Crombie doesn’t seem to hold that enmity, but his departure will be our loss.

Update:  a reader points out that the Bermuda Government itself has hired Mr. Crombie to ghostwrite many of its publications.