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Hocus Pocus- Part II

Thomas Christopher Famous is a Bermuda based columnist who writes on political and social issues in Bermuda and the wider Caribbean. He has weekly columns in the following online publications; Bernews, Caribbean News Now, Today in Bermuda and The Royal Gazette. Photo: Provided
The OBA promise of 2,000 jobs has resulted in near 2,000 jobs lost. Thousands of Bermudians have emigrated to the UK due to loss of jobs in their own country. Photo: Provided
The OBA promise of 2,000 jobs has resulted in near 2,000 jobs lost. Thousands of Bermudians have emigrated to the UK due to loss of jobs in their own country. Photo: Provided
By Thomas C. Famous

“Hocus Pocus”

“Abracadabra”

Two of the signature terms of magicians.

Whether they are pulling rabbits out of hats or sawing a damsel in half, magicians have been using smoke and mirrors combined with the art of distraction in order to trick their audiences for centuries.

However, once their audience takes a moment to see their actions for what they truly are, they realise exactly what the guy with the wand has done.

In the lead-up to the 2012 General Election, the One Bermuda Alliance made a number of profound promises to the people of Bermuda to convince them that their party was worthy of running the government. And somehow it worked on a significant portion of the population who truly believed that the OBA could actually pull rabbits out of hats.

One of the first rabbits the OBA promised to pull out of their hat was that of bringing down the cost of living for Bermudians. When challenged to prove how they would accomplish such a feat, they could produce no tangible evidence to back their claims.

Since then, Bermudians have seen almost every aspect of their day-to-day expenses rise year after year:-

•             Health care costs

•             Groceries

•             Future care

•             Government fees

The cost of living has risen so much that many Bermudians, unable to afford live in their own island, have literally packed up and emigrated. One key indicator of this mass emigration are the hundreds of school children who have left the public school system and are now in school in the UK causing primary schools intake levels to have dropped considerably.

So it is clear that the OBA has not brought down the cost of living for Bermudians.

Another one of the rabbits that the OBA presented as an election promise in was that they would create 2,000 jobs for Bermudians. Then, Shadow Finance Minister Bob Richards wrote this as his 2012 campaign promise.

“The OBA Turnaround Plan will create 2,000 jobs over the next five years by implementing pro-growth economic policies. These 2,000 jobs will come in a range of sectors including construction, hospitality, retail, financial services and international business.”

For the Bermudians who were underemployed or unemployed at that time, this sounded like manna from heaven. Naturally, they flocked to the OBA to see this trick unfold.

Unfortunately, the trick was on them, because the OBA has yet to produce this rabbit.

As per Department of Statistics Employment Survey In 2012, the number of Bermudians employed stood at 25,132 persons. For clarity, that number did not include guest workers. Year after year, there has been a steady erosion of the Bermudian work force, to the point that in 2016, the number of Bermudians employed stood at only 23,501 persons.

If we do the math (25,132-23,500), that equates to at least 1,631 jobs lost under the OBA within four years.

Let’s think about it for a minute. The OBA promised 2,000 jobs for Bermudians. Instead, what Bermudians got instead in return for their vote was a loss of 1,631 jobs, which has subsequently led to many unemployed Bermudians emigrating from the land of their birth in desperate hope of being able to support themselves and their families.

As we all know, a key hallmark of a magician is to make things seemingly disappear right in front of people’s faces. Well, Bermudians have now watched nearly 2,000 jobs disappear under the OBA, along with the thousands of Bermudians who disappeared from their island home.

Yes siree, Bob. Hocus Pocus, indeed.

4 Responses to “Hocus Pocus- Part II”

  • overseas (14/03/2017, 17:21) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    your party was no better
  • Local (14/03/2017, 20:14) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    We don't agree with Mr. Famous ideological convictions for both political parties were bad for jobs for Burundians
  • Readingthelines (15/03/2017, 09:25) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    All tricks so that some could take over the people's land. Watch the tricks, people. The Bermudians running to UK to be mediocre citizens in a foreign land. They need to stand up and fight and put some to flight. All tricks of the Edomites enemy. The Edomites always running from their cold-ass Europe to take over another people. When will it stop?
  • obm (17/03/2017, 08:21) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    What about the last BLP leader brown? Talk that


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