The attitude of St. David's Islanders toward low income families really infuriates me. St. David's Islanders are just too possessive of that land. To the best of my knowledge, St. David's is a part of Bermuda, is it not? From personal experience I know how St. David's Islanders feel about `outsiders' yet they don't mind leaving there and enjoying the rest of `our' space quite freely.

One resident fumed that St. David's Islanders are not stupid, but after reading the article I felt that they must be quite ignorant. Low income doesn't mean that these people are riff-raff or shiftless drug-addicts! Because someone doesn't fall within a certain income bracket doesn't automatically make them bad or prone to criminal behaviour. It might even come as a surprise to learn that rich professionals can have drug problems. Duh! As a St. David's Islander, surely you're all aware of the stereotypes you face, we've all heard the jokes and so on! So just as you don't wish to be labelled as not being too smart, don't place your labels on others.

Like Mr. Bascome has indicated, everyone else has shouldered the burden all of this time. This island is just too small for these kind of bad attitudes to exist. After all, we all probably live near someone we wish would disappear! Everyone's crying to Government for low cost housing, but if it's to happen we must get away from the not-in-my-backyard mentality. I can clearly recall people demanding to know why the Baselands weren't being utilised for housing needs. Now that it's finally happening, others are complaining and protesting! It's clearly a case of damned if you do and damned if you don't! St. David's Islanders, I have one final thing to say. Open up your minds, or better yet open up your hearts! FREE YOUR MIND AND THE REST WILL FOLLOW St. George's Stand up and be counted 11 May 2000 Dear Sir, I hope this letter will be read by Members of the UBP and disillusioned Members of the PLP.

What is going on with our leaders these days? They are disappearing to mysterious conferences in London without telling the People what they are doing. It is an insult to us all. They are spending money like drunken sailors, which we can ill afford. What is the point of sending a bunch of Gombeys to Switzerland? We don't need fast ferries, and we can't afford them.

It seems anything to spend money.

On the other side of the coin, they seem to be trying to drive away our offshore business which has been slowly and carefully built up over the past 40 to 50 years. They do not seem to realise that this business brings employment to Bermudians and yet they seem determined to make it as difficult for these businesses as they can with their CURE, etc. This is completely unnecessary legislation, and surely it is obvious that any prudent business would rather employ a Bermudian than go to the expense of employing someone from abroad. If these offshore businesses disappear, jobs will go with them, and so will our standard of living. It doesn't take a chartered accountant to point out that if you increase your expenses and reduce your income at the same time, you are headed in the wrong direction and the final result will be disaster.

To sum up, our expenses are unnecessarily high because money is being wasted, tourism is down despite the pipe-dreams of David Allen, and off-shore business doesn't know which way to turn -- not a pretty picture. We have already lost some of the offshore business and, if we are not careful, we are going to lose a lot more. I don't know what our PLP Leaders are trying to do, but I do know what they have done, and I can't say that I like it.

I am asking you all to come to the rescue and make as much noise as you can by voicing your displeasure at the way things are going, because if you just keep quiet it will be assumed you agree. Get behind Pam Gordon and support her to the fullest extent. Write letters to the Editor. In other words, make yourselves heard. I think this is our only hope.

D.G. BUTTERFIELD, CMG It's all about economics May 16, 2000 Dear Sir, The Minister of Tourism, Mr. David Allen, spoke boldly about a visitation programme as an incentive for repeat visitors.

This programme does have potential, however it does not appear that we are negotiating more reasonable travel rates to go along with all of the "beating of the bushes'' that the Minister speaks about.

The more feasible means to a lasting, successful tourist industry requires our negotiating an acceptable profit for the travel industries in exchange for the business that we are drumming up for them at our expense in time and money.

It is self-defeating to have expanded funding of the tourism campaign only to realise that many of our potential tourists will not be able to afford the high travel rates coupled with the additional expense of staying here for a period of time.

I am convinced that out of a random sample of 100 of the most travelled Bermudians, maybe one out of ten knows that mid-week is mostly Tuesdays and Wednesdays (Mondays and Thursdays are ticketed usually at weekend rates).

I am also aware of the rate differences for travelling Bermudians and those for the visitor. We are some of the most travelled people in the world so I am baffled that we continue to give business to the airlines on both sides, yet the rates continue to rise. What do you think? My intention is to initiate thought and a possible move to corrective action, not to criticise for the sake of criticising.

We need to understand the repercussions of our choices and our actions. Our efforts may appear to drum up hopes of increased numbers of visitors, but the travel rates can quickly convince one to choose another more reasonable place to vacation. It's all about economics folks! Our prosperity and our attitude of "I know that the price is ridiculous, but I don't think about it. I just pay it'' has driven many corporations to rape us openly.

Bermuda, take stock! Let's stop this ridiculous assault on our economy, on the Bermudian people and its visitors and call for corrective measures NOW! CONCERNED CITIZEN It doesn't add up May 14, 2000 Dear Sir, As one of a fairly new breed of (clothing) merchant I can admit that I have a comfortable income (although certainly not outlandish by any standard, but much the same as if I was employed by someone else). The plus side of this equation is that I am my own boss and the headaches of owning my own business have been acceptable, the trade-off for my reasonably comfortable situation.

Long, long hours, cash flow concerns, staff problems, worries about volumes of stock finding a buying consumer etc., etc., are all part of the big picture.

Recently, however, the scales have been tipping. Within the past year alone, increases in employment tax and land tax, and an additional pension scheme, all in what appears to be a declining economy, have had us scrambling for more cash just when we thought we had trimmed everything we possibly could do to make the business viable.

More and more I have wondered if the effort required to continue is still worth it. I would be able to look after myself, but what about the staff and their future? Now, coming on top of everything else, I am presented with the spectre of an unbelievable new Customs tariff. In the clothing department alone where previously we looked at two to three categories of imports for statistical purposes we are to be required to provide 34, mostly still in two duty rate bands so this is not an income-producing exercise just statistics.

Does the Collector of Customs have any idea how much effort will be required to provide the data required, and has he considered the cost/benefit ratio? I for one do not have the financial ability to hire personnel to provide a statistical breakdown into 34 different types of clothing.

This information is not provided on the invoices we receive and will have to be collated by clerks who will need to look at every single garment/article to decide how it is to be classified. Who is going to analyse this amazing amount of information at Customs? Redundant hotel and exempt company staff? What are they going to do with this information? What is the World Collector of Customs whereever he comes from going to do with Bermuda's information? Surely this is not the time to be complicating life further. Please, please, take another look at this policy.

HAMILTON WEST Thanks to you all May 19, 2000 Dear Sir, On behalf of all the members of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Bermuda, we would like to thank the public for their generous support during our Annual Carnation Campaign on Friday, May 12, 2000.

For the volunteers who gave selflessly of their time, we say a heartfelt thanks.

To the businesses who have continuously allowed us the use of their premises for the sale of our carnations, we say thank you.

The aim of our Society this year, is to help our M.S. sufferers offset their greatly increased medical bills, which we estimate to reach between $10,000 to $12,000.

As of May 1, 2000, our "after-insurance'' costs for one month's specialized medication has gone up from $15 per month per person to $232.00! For all of us who depend on this expensive medication to get by on a day-to-day basis, we can't thank you ALL enough.

With our deepest gratitude, THE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY OF BERMUDA