January 25, 2013Dear Sir,Government suggestions:1. Let’s bring some togetherness and harmony to our country by assisting these folks who have lived in Bermuda for 20 years or more, who have clean records to their names, get them involved with obtaining Bermuda status.2. Bermuda postage stamps: have more scenic photographs, pictures of the cruise ships and airlines that frequent Bermuda. (In the Pitcairn Islands in the Pacific Ocean, postage stamps are their country’s main business, just like tourism and international business is to Bermuda).3. Revise the postal service. Why have a piece of mail posted in Hamilton to go to Paget, but has to go all the way to our sorting facility at Southside before it gets to Paget? It’s an absolute waste of time, and money, the same goes for mail posted in Somerset that has to go to Warwick, Paget, or any other post office, it has to go to the sorting facility at Southside and then is returned to these post offices. Let’s move the sorting facility back to the General Post Office in Hamilton, and have everything done in Hamilton. With electronic mailing these days it takes away much of our air mail usage. To help cover the cost of these suggestions increase the prices of postage stamps for local and overseas mailing. (The US postage went up by one cent just this week)The Bailey’s Bay Post Office was dismantled for lack of business, let’s streamline other post offices (Do we really need Harrington Sound Post Office?)4. Do a survey each year of our country’s bridges. Somerset Bridge needs to be made stronger, steel beams underneath would give it more support, but keep it attractive for our tourists. How often are our bridges structures checked?5. Since the use of our roads is a privilege not a right, let’s introduce a small fee of say $5 or $10 per year to all pedal cycle users. A license plate could be used the same way it was used in Bermuda during the Second World War, a license plate affixed to the right hand side of the front wheel axle.6. Before we invest in resurfacing any of our roads, let’s contact our local utilities companies who have to renew, sewage lines, electricity lines, or water lines, placing trenches in our road systems after the roads have been resurfaced is not the proper way to go.7. Let our Government decide on having casinos in new or old hotels and not use the referendum mode of decision. Casinos could be taxed and a fee could be put in place.Also bring back the “one arm bandits” to private clubs, they bring revenue to the clubs, and also the Government.8. Let’s improve our National Sports Stadium by inserting solar energy panels on the roofs of any permanent buildings there. Inserting solar energy panels could certainly address the most part of the electricity bill that is in place now.9. Could solar energy panels be placed on all Government buildings, like our Court Building, our new hospital, and all those large inhabited buildings at Southside and any other buildings that use electricity?10. Could our wave action be checked to produce energy?11. Our new swimming pool at the National Stadium needs attention to detail, it appears by all press reports that it’s become a “white elephant”.How can you use it for diving and swimming exercises all at the same time? I would suggest we rent out the swimming pools of the private sector to cater to our swimming teams for future Olympic and Commonwealth Games trainings.12. Could we reintroduce helicopter tours to Bermuda by local operators and give them duty free fuel and other maintenance cost providing these operators are able to assist our Government with mapping of our Islands, assistance to our police service, and Regiment for surveillances of inshore drug interdictions, and search and rescue, if required.13. Another suggestion for our new Government, why don’t we approach the Canadian Government and invite their Navy to hold their Atlantic exercises in the Bermuda area especially during our winter months, they have done it in the past years, and Hamilton and St George’s harbours could be used more effectively for their rest and relaxation time.PETER BROMBYPaget