Dear Sir,

This letter is addressed to the Finance Minister, Bob Richards.

I don’t want to hear you moan and groan again in the press about being $2.5 billion in debt as a government, or not being able to balance the budget.

You have failed to make the tough decisions.

Where is the 10 per cent deduction in salary for those civil servants making more than $80,000 a year? Where is the 20 per cent reduction in salary for those civil servants making more than $100,000 a year?

Why am I still seeing jobs being advertised in The Royal Gazette? Essential positions? Please. Every civil servant making more than $80,000 a year, take away their credit cards, no cars, no housing allowance no foreign travel.

Five-thousand civil servants for a population of 70,000? Please.

With a $1 billion budget per annum, Bermuda should have streets paved with gold.

How many ministers and permanent secretaries do you need? What do they do all day? Five-hour meetings, three-hour lunch breaks, golf courses ... where is the accountability?

To the outside world, the Bermuda civil service looks like a joke — talk about socialism at its extreme.

Find me another community anywhere in the world of 22 square miles with a population of 70,000, a $1 billion budget, $2.5 billion in debt, $300 million current account deficit.

Nowhere, and you can’t balance the budget in 2½ years? Pitiful.

I hope you are enjoying your $12,000 a month salary, certainly aren’t earning it.

Why don’t you, Premier Dunkley and [Home Affairs Minister] Michael Fahy take another trip overseas on borrowed money?

Go around the world this time and put us $3 billion in debt — you obviously aren’t taking Bermuda’s financial predicament too seriously.

Bermuda, the next Greece?

OBSERVER, Sandys