signed by Ramadhin Smith and Raymond Russell. Mr. Russell did not write the letter.

Just ask the people April 06, 2001 The following was sent to the The Foreign & Commonwealth Office, c/o Government House and copied to The Royal Gazette.

Dear Sir, I attended the meeting with your representatives held in Government House on Tuesday, April 3 and spoke on the need for a revision in, and the documentation and communication of, the process for constitutional change. At that meeting I was very brief, in consideration of the time, and now I would like to take advantage of the invitation to respond to the summation given by your representatives.

It was clear from many of the comments of the participants that there has been a lack of understanding of the process that the Bermuda Government and The Foreign & Commonwealth Office is using to change our Constitution. This lack of understanding is a result of little, and obscure, communications on the subject, and a lack of trust on the part of the populace that the Bermuda Government is being open and democratic. The current Bermuda Government has made it clear through public statements that it does not represent the hopes and aspirations of all Bermudians when proposing policy and passing legislation in our House.

It is therefore just and reasonable that many Bermudians will fear that the Government will deal with changes to our Constitution in the same way. It is also reasonable that we suspect any part of the process that takes place without representation from all of us, which is what has happened to date, and which it appears will continue to happen in London going forward.

Your representatives, and the Bermuda Governor, introduced the purpose of the meeting as being to hear detailed, specific proposals for change to our Constitution. It was evident from the participants that it does not matter what specifics we propose, unless we feel that we will have an influence on the final recommendations, and on the ultimate decision to adopt them. The only way that we will feel that we are participating in the process, and that changes will be made democratically, is if ALL Constitutional changes are decided upon individually, in a referendum requiring a great majority approval.

If this does not happen then there will be no chance of the current Government ever building trust with all Bermudians, nor will there ever be any trust between Bermudians and your Office. Because of the mistrust engendered by the precedents set by the current Government, it will be clear that Constitutional change is being dictated to us. If you allow this to happen then you will be negligent in your duty to ensure that government in this Island follows democratic principles. If a referendum is not held as outlined above, then ALL proposals will be suspect, and the adopted changes will be morally rejected by a great many Bermudians. A constitution is worthless unless most citizens embrace it, and wars have been and are being fought over this issue.

In summarising the meeting on Tuesday, your representative stated that while the concept of proportional representation, and even single seat constituencies, appeared to be acceptable, he heard in the meeting that any reduction in the number of ministers was not wanted. However, I was appalled when he finished without focus and emphasis on our desire for the mandatory inclusion of a referendum in the process. Your representative obviously listened, but did not hear us. I asked myself if your Office came to Bermuda to pay lip service to the democratic process, to waste my time, and to comply in dictating how my Constitution defines my place in my community.

Hear us now! We want you to insist that a referendum be held, with each proposed change listed separately. If you do not then Bermuda will remain a society divided, fearful and without trust, and you will have had a clear role in keeping it so. Britain's foreign policy history is fraught with examples of fostering division. While this was good for maintaining colonial control, it is not appropriate today. That history is also scattered with the abandonment of peoples and societies to untenable futures. Do not do that to Bermudians just because we live on a small island.

We are an educated electorate, have taken many multiple-choice exams in the past, and will be able to understand and complete a ballot with more than one question. We want a referendum on all Constitutional changes.

If your goal is a Constitution which reflects the greater will of our society, then you are obligated to heed this request.

Peter Card Hamilton Bermuda Not the man for the job April 9, 2001 Dear Sir, It really troubles me to witness the state and continued downturn in Bermuda's tourism industry.

Those of us who are fortunate enough to live in Bermuda are blessed with an island that is naturally beautiful, relatively safe and very friendly indeed.

Bermuda is also blessed with an electronic infrastructure that is just as sophisticated as any major economic power.

Bermuda sits in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean not too far from Europe and North America. Yet, Mr. Editor, in spite of all of Bermuda's assets we continue to see a steady downward turn in one of our major industries: Tourism.

Our tourism industry is struggling while most of our neighbours south of us are enjoying record numbers of visitors.

It is fair to say that Bermuda's tourism has been on a steady decline for over 20 years. And I would be the first to admit that part of the blame should be placed with the former government too. However, the purpose of this letter Mr.

Editor is not to blame any one or any person rather to bring to the attention of the people of Bermuda the importance of the success of our tourism industry.

We spend millions of dollars trying to attract visitors and the results are fewer and fewer visitors. I have noticed in recent years that the attitude of Bermudians towards our visitors and the appreciation for our visitors is also on the decline. I hear so many sad stories of tourists being treated badly.

What is happening to Bermuda? Bermuda needs to sit back and start thinking about creative ways to re-invent our Tourism Industry. The Tourism Industry, in my view, is too critical an industry to be run by politicians. The current Minister of Tourism, for whom I have the greatest respect, does not impress me as a business person. Yes, The Hon. Minister may be a seasonal politician and a very good debater, but he does not strike me as a capable CEO. I am not blaming the current Minister for all of tourism problems, I just don't think he is the right person for the job.

I sincerely think this ministry should be taken away from POLITICIANS and handed over to business people that would be held accountable by the people and be forced to show results. POSITIVE RESULTS.

When you have an industry that has a budget in the tens of millions of dollars and does not show positive results, something is wrong. Something needs to be fixed. This Government, as far as its Tourism Ministry is concerned, needs to start thinking outside of the box. It is no secret that Bermuda continues to enjoy a healthy lifestyle mainly because of the presence of International Business companies. There are over 15,000 registered International companies in Bermuda. Of that 15,000 approximately three percent have a physical presence in Bermuda. That small three percent provides 80 percent of Bermuda's revenue. Scary, and true.

What many people do not realise or even care about is that without the presence of these international companies we would be in dire straits. It is this dependence on one industry that frightens me. God forbid the day that two or three of these major players decide to leave our wonderful shores.

Tourism and the international business sector of Bermuda go hand in hand. They go hand in hand because of some very simple facts: The airlines that service Bermuda benefit the tourists and the business traveller. The restaurants of Bermuda benefits the tourists and the business traveller, taxis, public transportation, etc., etc.

There are many people in both industries that are trying their best to ensure that Bermuda continues to enjoy prosperity. Unfortunately we have a few politicians that are so self-centered and high on ego trips that they cannot or will not see that the writing is on the wall.

There are so many ways in which we can turn the tourist industry around if only we could all sit down and discuss ways in which to do so. If only we can forget about our differences and start thinking about our similarities Bermuda's tourism industry could be turned around within one year.

To turn tourism around would take some bold thinking and I am disgusted sometimes to see the great potential this little jewel in the Atlantic has. We are too afraid of thinking outside of the norm.

The world is constantly changing. Bermuda has to compete on a global scale for Tourists and International business. If we do not change with the world then we will be left behind.

This is evident in our tourist industry.

In closing Mr. Editor, I would like to say that I know there are lots of hard working and dedicated men and women in The Department of Tourism not just in Bermuda but overseas as well, trying their best to sell this wonderful Island.

These ambassadors need our support and encouragement. However, it is incumbent upon every Bermuda to make sure that once here, our visitors have the time of their life and that they will recommend Bermuda to their friends and relatives.

Remember: 15,000 registered International Companies in Bermuda. Three percent of that 15,000 has a physical presence in Bermuda. That three percent provides 80 percent of Bermuda's revenue. Let's help tourism. Let's do it together.

Without the politics, racism and finger pointing.

RAMADHIN (RAMMY) SMITH Pembroke RAYMOND RUSSELL Pembroke