Come On, Gimme The Vote!

Royal Gazette Opinion, Thursday 5 May 2005

As you read this, the British are going to the polls to elect a new government.

They’re essentially being offered a choice between two men. One is Labour’s Tony Blair, a man who stole a 12-year-old doctoral thesis from the Internet to justify a war no-one wanted. The other is the Conservative’s Michael Howard, a man once described by one of his own MPs as having “something of the night” about him. It’s an uninspiring choice.

About the only thing the Conservatives have going for them is that they’re no longer being led by a moron. In Mr. Howard, they finally have a leader with the gravitas and experience necessary for you to be confident that he won’t ask “what does this button do?” while inspecting the country’s nuclear missile silos. Since Mr. Howard took charge, the Conservatives have closed the gap on Labour, although probably not by enough to win today.

Still, I couldn’t vote for him. The Conservatives were as keen to go and shoot up Iraq as Labour, and they seem to harbour a visceral hatred of anything foreign, be it the EU or those pesky asylum seekers. As kids they probably enjoyed using aerosols and cigarette lighters to set fire to spiders. Frightful bunch.

So who am I voting for, then? I’ll tell you: nobody.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not because I’m cynical about British politics or the likelihood of my vote making a difference, although I am. I would dearly love to give Tony Blair a bloody nose for spending most of his second term as George Bush’s poodle. I don’t like to see grown men sniffing each other’s behinds, especially when it involves sending British troops into harm’s way for reasons that are as shabby as the American President’s sentence structure.

You see, although I can vote in UK elections for the next decade or so, I really shouldn’t be allowed to. The Inland Revenue may still be sending me tax returns (damn them!), but I own next to nothing in the UK any more and am essentially no longer paying any tax. I no longer use the hospitals or the public transport system (thank God) and if al-Qaeda detonates a dirty bomb in Trafalgar Square because Tony and George are such good mates, it’s not going to affect me. If they kick out all the immigrants so there’s no longer anyone willing to clean the toilets or wait tables, well, that’s not going to affect me either. Frankly, Britain can pretty much go to hell in a handbasket for all I care.

Realising this, lesser men might take the opportunity to play a huge practical joke on their countrymen. They might start up a worldwide network of Brits abroad, who, if they all voted as one, might be able to put the Official Monster Raving Loony Party into Number 10. But not me.

I’d just like to be able to vote in the country whose Government does make decisions that directly impact my life, where I do pay taxes. If a bunch of politicians are going to enrich themselves at my expense, I want a say in which bunch of politicians it’s going to be. And I see no reason why I should have to wait until I’ve been married to my wife for ten years to do so.

Oh, I know no-one agrees with me on this. Foreigners should consider themselves lucky they’re permitted to live here at all. Foreigners should be grateful that they’re allowed to publicly express their opinions, be it on a website or in a national newspaper. Foreigners need to understand that there are enough expats, spouses of Bermudians (love the acronym) and long-term residents that they could actually make a difference to the outcome of an election here (perish the thought). Foreigners need to understand that, as most of them are white, that would skew the elections towards the UBP, since it’s unreasonable to expect the PLP to do anything to appeal to white voters. Spouses of Bermudians need to understand that waiting ten years for a piece of paper is what demonstrates commitment to a country, not anything as trivial as marriage or where they choose to make their home.

And if those foreigners don’t like it, they can damn well go back to their own country.

I’m aware that other countries have similar restrictions on foreign voters (though it’s ironic that Bermudians living in the UK can vote in today’s election). That’s irrelevant. They’re wrong too.

What I’m talking about here is basic fairness. “No taxation without representation!” cried the advocates of American independence from Great Britain in the eighteenth century. Quite.

Give me the vote or give me back my taxes.

Comments

[Onion on 06.05.05 at 09:33]

Ruby,

You fit in quite well.

[Onion on 06.05.05 at 09:54]

Ships,

Well done for not misquoting me this time.

I take your points. But if you concede that Bermuda is already selling itself out in terms of everything from construction, to banking, to real estate, then what is the rationale of diluting the one bit of power we as Bermudians have? ie. a vote.

What is the rationale, what is the urgency in bending over backwards to rearranage our whole immigration system to give a work permit holder a right to vote? I mean is that really a priority? Did we force the XL executive to come here and earn a lavish income tax free salary and have his rent and travel expenses all paid? Did we force the pot scrubber to come here and work for five years so he can go back home and buy his own beautiful home and start his own business? Are any of these people threatening to go home b/c they can't vote? Uh..no. HSBC don't have to go to the polls to have control. They just take a few politicians out to a few cocktail parties or make them directors on a few lucrative commpany boards or they just TELL them this is what must happen.

It is absurd to compound the seemingly inevitable increase in foreign ownsership with giving them a right to vote!! This little strip of land in the middle of the Atlantic is our home and we must protect it and maintain as much control of it for as long as we can.

[shipstones on 06.05.05 at 11:02]

Sorry but this unimaginative and uninteresting, alcaholic, senile, tedious illiterate is too busy to bore you right now.
Will be back with my comments on second class citizens or expats as they are called!
By the way we now have an alarm system so don't come robbing our house no more!

[H Reardon on 06.05.05 at 11:07]

Jeff, Onion and the like,

Give me back some of my taxes then. If I have to pay the same as you, it doesn't make sense that I don't have a say in how it gets spent.

"Significant taxes? Give me a break. What you reap in tax benefits far out-weights your tax burden. I'll take payroll tax over NY State tax, NY City tax and federal tax any day."

As an American, the tax benefits of living in Bermuda are greatly reduced compared to that of a citizen of another country. I'd rather pay full US tax (rather than the break I get) and no Bermuda tax.

These "you've got it good enough, you're lucky we let you live here" arguments are so trite. Please try and come up with something more creative.

[Onion on 06.05.05 at 11:24]

Reardon,

Give me back all the taxes I paid working overseas. Give me back all the taxes I paid shopping all over the US.

[H Reardon on 06.05.05 at 12:36]

Onion,

I would if I could and sympathize with your issue. Much like a return of VAT in the UK, the US states should return your sales tax.

[Guilden M. Gilbert, Jr. on 06.05.05 at 13:00]

Someone mentioned it earlier. The Cayman example, post-Hurricane Ivan, is a very good example of how committed many expats truly are to the country in which they work. A large number of them left never to return.

At the end of the day unless you have more tying you to a country than simply employment you should not be allowed to participating in the voting process.

With regard to U.S. Green Card Holders:

http://uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/PermRes.htm#voting

"As a Permanent Resident you can only vote in local and state elections that do not require you to be a US citizen. It is very important that you do not vote in national, state or local elections that require a voter to be a US citizen when you are not a US citizen. There are criminal penalties for voting when you are not a US citizen and it is a requirement for voting. You can be removed (deported) from the US if you vote in elections limited to US citizens."

Reardon,

Surely a Green Card (permanent residency) is closer to citizenship than is a work permit, which I assume is what you current hold in Bermuda. Green Card Holders pay taxes, state and federal, yet they cannot vote in national elections. Based on your argument you are saying that these persons should not have to pay taxes (Federal Taxes anyway because they can vote in some state and local elections). Why don't you suggest that the federal government refund these taxes?

Your argument also suggest that international students attending university in the U.S. should have all taxes they paid while in school refunded when they graduate and leave the country. After all they neither have residency nor the right to vote.

No matter where you live in the world you are going to pay some form of taxation within the jurisdiction. The fact that you must pay taxes in Bermuda, your current country of residence, and still pay taxes in the U.S. is a matter for you and your country to resolve, is it not?

[Bill Cook on 06.05.05 at 14:32]

Pitts,

That case you mentioned ref. the man who was adopted by Bermudians, really intriqued me.

Why is the period 18 to 22yrs the only period that one can apply for the granting of status?

My concern is that such a person may find himself with no passport.

Recently we had a young man who had been taken in and become one of family, but upon the death of that person found he had to leave Bermuda, it was a really terrble predicament and was handled very inhumanely in my opinion, as he had no other family and would have to go to a foster home in the US even though the adopter's family were willing to take him in

[Pitts Bay on 06.05.05 at 14:55]

Bill

The problem with the Act is that it provides at S. 16(2)that "Any person who is under the age of 22 and who... ...is a... ...child adopted in a manner recognised by law, of a person who has Bermudian Status... ... shall for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to possess and enjoy Bermudian Status"

Section 20 of the Act goes on to provide that:

"A person who establishes to the satisfaction of the Minister that:
(a) he has reached the age of 18 but is under the age of 22; and
(b) he has been ordinarily resident in Bermuda for the period of 5 years immediatly preceeding his application; and
(c) has for the 5 years immediatly preceeding his application been deemed to possess & enjoy Bermuda status by virtue of section 16(2)

shall, on applying to the Minister, be entitled to have Bermudian Status granted to him."

As you will see, you could have been adopted at 6 days old by Bermudian parents, yet if for some reason you fail to make application between the age of 18 or 22, or for whatever reason you fail the residency test, (or both), you are out of luck and there is no way to actually get Bermuda status - you are shit out of luck!!!

You are right that it is possible that someone could technically be without a passport - however, Bermuda Status & British Passports (whether British Citizen of British Overseas Territories Citizen) are not tied together and are independent matters governed by the British Nationalities Act. The client in my case was clearly a British Dependent Territories Citizen in May 2002 (although he did not have Bermuda Status), and as such became a British Citizen and could get a passport.

Government is aware of this lacuna, but I guess it is not important enough to bother drafting amending legislation.

As I stated before, the discretionary grant would solve this particular problem, but it is also open to abuse.

[Jeff on 06.05.05 at 20:52]

"Give me back some of my taxes then. If I have to pay the same as you, it doesn't make sense that I don't have a say in how it gets spent."

We don't get to vote merely because we pay taxes. When are you going to get that through your condescending, thick-headed, patronizing skull? There are Bermudians who have been shaping this country long before you figured out we weren't in the Caribbean, and there will be Bermudians here (by choice) long after you abandon ship. This may be difficult for you to comprehend, but there actually are people here who consider this island to be much more than an opportunity for economic advancement. If you are (that) bothered by the lack of intelligence of the average Bermudian, if you find us (that) offensive to your superior nature, if you find denying you the right to vote to be (that) unfair, then take a bloody hike to a country that will give you a better deal.

This is the kind of expat we can honestly do without.

[Bill Cook on 07.05.05 at 07:27]

Thanks Pitts,

It would appear to me that it would be simple enough to have the person notified such as I was when my pension was due etc. the records are there.

It almost seems that there is a subtle plan to try and deprive the person from getting what he or she is legally entitled to.

That provision for discretionary grant status is already available as witnessed by the granting of status to either Vietnamese or Korean nationals in a boat incident possibly 10 of them.

To best of my knowledge they then went to US.

It would be nice if just for once we here had our Government do that which is morally correct rather than which is politically expedient

I mean giving LTR status because they registered to vote way back then but not to LTR who were here in some cases longer but may not have been eligable to vote etc is a typical case in point