The National Drug Commission?s pleas not to have its budget cut is sure to be met with some scepticism after more than a year of chaos in the drug treatment arena.

But the NDC?s request should be taken seriously.

Cutting its budget now could destroy what progress has been made in spite of the disarray and that would be disastrous.

However, Government should set down strict performance standards as a condition for maintaining funding levels. And if programmes do not work, then Government should cut the funding, or find new ways of doing the work.

On the whole, the new chairman and chief executive officer of the NDC are saying the right things and the Rev. Andrew Doughty and Don Philip should not be blamed for the problems of the past.

But that does not mean that they should not be held accountable in the future.

A missed opportunity

Government?s decision to cancel the Annual Exhibition comes as a huge disappointment.

Most Bermudians look forward to the event in much the same way they do Christmas or Cup Match.

It is true that the damage from Hurricane Fabian to the Botanical Gardens was severe and it is quite clear that the ?Ag Show? could not proceed as things stand now.

But a little more effort several months ago could have ensured that the show would go on.

If an appeal to the general public to assist in putting the Botanical Gardens into good enough shape to host the show had been made in November or December, there is no doubt that the public would have demonstrated their ?Fabian spirit? and come forward to help to repair the grandstand, repair roofs and so on.

That would have relieved the Parks Department of at least some of its responsibilities when it workers are rightly focused on restoring other parks and beaches in time for tourism?s high season.

But Government missed the opportunity to make this a genuine community effort. Instead, there seems to have been a ?failure? to communicate.

Having said that, praise is due to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for their plans to expand their fair. That at least will give children something to look forward to.

Also on he bright side, this gives Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield a year to rethink one of the sillier decisions of the last Progressive Labour Party government and to give the Agricultural Exhibition its name back.