WELL Bermuda, the writing is on the wall. We have lost our way. Let me explain what I mean. We have people who work for the Government who are more capitalistic than the capitalists on Front Street. These people have forgotten that by accepting positions with the Government, they took an oath to be public servants, not money mongers.

We have teachers who do not have the class (no pun intended), elegance, stateliness or love for children shown by teachers from previous generations. There may be a few who still have those qualities, but they are the exception rather than the rule. Then we also have supposed civil servants, including police officers, demanding more money, more money, more money in their paychecks. Its truly all about the money and less about serving the people of Bermuda.

More on this after The Top 20.

Up to number one is Give It To Me by Madonna, a kicking dance anthem by veteran house, pop and disco diva.

Spotlight, by former American Idol songstress Jennifer Hudson, advances to number two.

Tumbling to number three is When I Grow Up by the Pussycat Dolls, one of the hottest, sexiest and most creative groups around.

Up to number four is Jazmine Sullivan's new hit entitled Need You Bad.

Improving to number five is Disturbia by hot girl Rihanna, a smooth dance track that currently sits atop international dance charts.

Falling to number six is Take A Bow, a sad love story also by Rihanna.

Down to number seven is Defence (the anthem) by Machel Montano featuring Lil Jon and Pitbull.

Tumbling to number eight is Love Is Wicked (Soca Remix) by Brick and Lace featuring Kess.

Climbing to number nine is The Business by Yung Berg featuring Casha, a current hip hop fave.

Improving to number ten is Whatever You Like by T.I.

Up to number 11 is Can't Believe It by T-Pain and Lil Wayne.

At number 12 is Road Jam, a soca kicker by Shurwayne Winchester.

Now some sweet reggae music.

Soaring to number 13 is She's Royal by Tarrus Riley, one of the coolest reggae songs of the year and last week's essential new tune.

Falling to number 14 is Put On by Young Jeezy featuring Kanye West.

Also falling to number 15 is Heaven Sent by Keyshia Cole.

Improving to number 16 is the new hit from Ne-Yo, entitled Closer. This one has been around for a while but a new remix has put it back in the charts.

Up to number 17 is a kicking dance track by Natasha Beddingfield, entitled Angel.

Down to number 18 is Trey Songz' new hit, entitled Last Time.

Slipping to number 19 is A Milli by Lil Wayne.

Falling to number 20 is Chris Brown's single, Take You Down.

Now back to this week's words: Civil servants no longer.

Bermuda - the horses have not left the stable, they've left the ranch. A colleague called me the other day to ask me to turn on the TV so that I could see the news, where I saw a schoolteacher, involved in an industrial dispute, on national television, in flip flops! I understand that society has changed and things are a little different but this has become downright ridiculous.

I know that people no longer wear suits to church, and that's fine, the Lord says come as you are. But these people knew that they could be on TV, given the action they were taking, and they couldn't even present themselves as professional, reasonable, role models that teachers are expected to be. Our standards have dropped all around.

Then there is the labour movement that is going on these days: the marches on Parliament, the police officers' involvement in it, the demands for increases in salary and other working conditions. It is repulsive that people working for Government are demanding to be paid as if they work in the private sector. I am here to remind everyone who works for Government that your salaries are paid by the taxpayers in this country. The reaction to the excessive salary increases given to Government workers will be: (NEWS FLASH) higher taxes. Just wait, you'll see. Negotiators tried to tell us this but we don't listen. We will gain little ground, if any. In a few months, when the budget is announced, there will be higher taxes.

Government is not a free enterprise system or a money tree, based on profits and the maximisation thereof. Government is the collection and expenditure of the taxpayers' dollars, for the betterment and benefit of the taxpayer. The Government cannot benefit or better the taxpayer if the majority of the taxpayers' dollars go to salaries. Governments cannot pay its permanent secretaries, directors, MP's, ministers, senators bonuses like their counterparts in the private sector receive. All over the world, Government workers are paid less than those in the private sector, most of the time.

The historical reason that people joined the civil service was not for the money; it was to serve the people. This was true of all Government workers: police officers, teachers, public works officials, doctors and nurses at hospitals, military personnel, firefighters, etc. These people knew that they could make more doing something else, but for a variety of reasons chose public service. Public service is not self service and it is not about making as much money as possible.

People always reserve the right to leave and granted many do. However, in difficult economic times, there is a certain degree of job security with Government positions that does not exist in the private sector. This, too, must be taken into account.

You take a job in the civil service with expectations of certain conditions and pay scales. It is not reasonable and fair to then require your employer to increase the pay because now that you are in the job, you realise that others make more or the working conditions are not the same as they are in other industries.

We all know that the pay is lower. The solution, as has been the case in Bermuda for many years, especially for black Bermudians, is to get a part-time job. I have one and I'm a department head!

Years ago many Bermudians worked as waiters, taxi drivers and bus boys to make some extra change. This is the Bermudian story - if you want to get ahead, you have to work extra. It must be the same elsewhere. I can't imagine people getting ahead in any country without working extra. The formula may be different, due to the tax structure and other variables, but the concept of getting ahead by working more is the same.

It's like preparing for a race, especially a long-distance race. The person who puts in the most work, training early mornings and late nights, is usually the person who wins.

I once heard Mr. Philip Butterfield, CEO of the Bank of Bermuda, say that, "What you do from 9-5 is just to survive. It is what you do outside those hours that gets you ahead."

This formula hasn't changed in Bermuda; we have changed. We want the rewards of two or three jobs but we only want to put out the work for one! I will put it to you this way - do you think that Mr. Frederick Shirley Furbert, formerly the principal at the Berkeley Institute would have been haggling with his employer over his salary? What about Mrs. Edna Mae Scott? Do you think that those old-school teachers who taught for 30 -40 years would be holding the Ministry of Education at ransom over pay and conditions of employment? I can tell you that the answer is no.

Do you think that Mr. Oliver Trott, former commissioner of police back in the day, during his years in the ranks of constable, sergeant, inspector, would have marched on Parliament? The answer is no.

Government workers, we have lost our way. We have become greedy and more interested in filling our pockets than serving our people. This criticism is levied upon all of us from the top to the bottom - nobody is exempt from this. We must get back to focusing on serving the country.

When we put the majority of our brain power into doing a good job and less on getting paid, then, and only then, will we really start to deliver programmes and initiatives that make Bermuda a better place.

Tschuss (that means goodbye in German).