March 30, 2012Dear Sir,Reports in The Royal Gazette of late from Government MPs and Senators, along with their supporters calling the talk shows pumping up or should I say “trying to pump up” the Progressive Labour Party track record truly indicates an “election is in the air”….Comments from those PLP MPs and Senators stating the present Government is best suited to lead the Island going forward ring hollow in my ears. From my perspective, when it comes to rating the performance of a Government, voters need to ask themselves whether they are better off today than they were before this Government came upon the scene? In simpler terms, have we experienced an increase in living standards and opportunities during the term that the Government has been in power? It is very clear to me that the principle increases we have witnessed from the PLP Government since 1998 are:* Increase in the size of the civil service and hence the payroll and pension commitments that we Bermudian taxpayers are responsible for* Increase in the size of taxes and fees taken from the taxpayer from $500 million in 1998 to $1 billion per year in 2012.* Increase in our payroll taxes* Increase in healthcare costs* Increase in crime* Increase in unemployment* Increase in the amount of businesses that have closed their doors* Increase in the number of hotels and tourist accommodations that have closed* Increase in the destruction of woodland reserves via increases in SDOs issued* Increase in our National Debt* Increase in the daily interest costs to cover such debt now over $300,000 per day* Increase in cost overruns on Government capital projects* Increase in the cost of living* Increase in the cost of doing business in Bermuda* Increase in Government regulations and bureaucracy* Increase in the salaries paid to MPs and Senators without there being any requirement or prerequisite that those persons have qualifications to be an MP or SenatorThe list can be much longer, but I’m sure you get my point. And these PLP pundits want the public to vote them in again for another term? They have got to be kidding! Fool us once and shame on you, but fool us over three election cycles (14 years) and shame on us. I look forward to the voters sending the incumbent Government cracking at the next election because what Bermuda needs now is an increase in hope, which can only be achieved by changing the present Government. Overall, their legacy is abysmal and thankfully, Change is in the air.ALLAN D MARSHALLSt. George’s