Before criticizing me, examine your party’s dented image

Manners dictate that ladies must come first.

So my opening segment today is dedicated to young Ms Toni Daniels, former Senator and loyal follower of the OBA.

Ms Daniels has allowed her adrenaline  to rush to her  fingers once again. In her letter to the editor of this paper, published on Wednesday, she states that:

• I should be commended for my ever spirited defence of the PLP.

• At times my enthusiasm gets ahead of the matter;

• I sidestepped Thad Hollis’s specific reason for calling for a PLP apology;

• I am a diehard partisan;

• I put party before Bermuda;

• The PLP should acknowledge its role in Bermuda’s economic decline;

• The truth shall set you free.

Okay I guess they realized no one was listening to Thad or Branco anymore, so they send in Ms Daniels.

Don’t commend me for defending the PLP. Commend the 15,000+ Bermudian supporters of the PLP — it is they that will speak at the next election.

My enthusiasm stems from the fact that my West Indian DNA will never allow me to sit idly by and not do what has to be done for my fellow Bermudians.

No, we did not sidestep Thad Hollis. We simply will not dance to the tune that the OBA is playing. “We refuse to be what you want us to be , we are what we are, and that’s the way it’s going to be” — Bob Marley.

No one is more “partisan” than the crowd who have been UBP, BDA, OBA all their lives. They are, essentially “anti-PLP” for life.

I have served our country since a teenager in the Junior Leaders. At age 17, I volunteered for the Bermuda Regiment. My Family has invested untold millions in Bermuda. Despite recession and the election defeat, we are still here. The OBA is in no position to question my loyalty to Bermuda. They are, however, free to take a page from my book and learn from it.

Shadow Finance Minister David Burt  spoke about where the PLP went wrong. But also, ask the thousands of seniors on FutureCare for their opinions.

Truth

Which truth does Ms Daniels speak of? The truth that her Government attempted to place non-Bermudian children at the front of the line for jobs? Or the truth that some Government workers will be let go at the end of March? Which truth will set the OBA free?

Don’t get me wrong. I have developed a fondness for my OBA family. It is good that we air our differences in public .This way, we can set examples, of how to settle disputes with words, not war.

However, Ms Daniels needs to realize, extremely quickly, that the OBA has broken many election promises.

• Term limits scrapped prematurely;

• Seniors now being taxed;

• Attempt to of put Bermudian children last in line;

• Grew the size of Cabinet.

And it’s worth talking a close look at who’s getting paid what under the OBA:

•  Premier Cannonier — $207,285 plus two vehicles;

• Press Secretary Charmaine Burgess $120,000?

• Chief of Staff Dale Jackson  $120,000? Plus one vehicle

• Asst. Chief of Staff $120,000?

• Minister Michael Dunkley $168,965

• Senator Nalton Brangman $131,208 plus one vehicle

• Attorney General Mark Pettingill  $203,045

• Mr Pettingill’s legal assistant $100,000+?

• Trevor Moniz, Shawn Crockwell and Wayne Scott, $156,864 a year.

• Corey Butterfield $120,000

• Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, Grant Gibbons, Sylvan Richards and Leah Scott will earn $106,444.

Minister Leah Scott is paid as a minister, yet has no ministry. So ask yourselves, and more importantly, ask the OBA, what exactly is Minister Scott paid $106,444 to do?

Well financed

For folks who campaigned by accusing the PLP of nepotism and cronyism, seemingly the OBA were merely showing their blueprint. They only raised the debt ceiling by $1billion. Looks like the OBA friends and family plan is well financed until the next election.

Ms Daniels needs to focus some efforts into cleaning up the tarnished image of “Time for Change”. But alas, I fully understand her attempts to keep up with me. She can’t help it. Saltus and Warwick Academy students always envied Berkeleyites.

Respice Finem.

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