BLIMEY. How much money does this Government have? Or more accurately, how much of my money is it prepared to waste?

Just as relevant: Why are we wasting precious cash and time establishing a sustainable development plan when this Government evidently doesn't have a clue as to what that entails?

In case you're wondering, in a roundabout way I'm referring to the huge pay rises recently awarded to the top brass of the Civil Service. And, I'm referring to the oh-so-important declaration on crime and anti-social behaviour ? aired on television and radio ? which shed no light on what will be done to improve the fates of young people at risk.

As reported by the , massive across-the-board pay rises were given to nearly 100 of the top civil servants ? department heads, puisne judges, Permanent Secretaries, the Cabinet Secretary and others ? irrespective of their individual work performance.

The idea was to make Civil Service pay comparable to that in the private sector. As a result, the salary bill has spiralled from $11.9 million to approximately $12.8 million ? and that's the total for only the top 90 posts.

The salary increases were given in April, only three months before the release of the sustainable development draft. That report, criticises current performance levels for not being what they should be and stated that performance-related pay should be considered to address civil servants who are not up to scratch.

Said Erica Smith, the Government's director of sustainable development: "That particular option needs to be put on the table. We recognise that that could be an issue for contention but I think we are all agreed around here, and the Cabinet has agreed, that we have to raise the level of performance itself within the Civil Service. This is just one of many mechanisms in order to do so."

Why would Government decide to strain the public purse by throwing money at workers if they are not performing to a satisfactory level?

Could it be that politicians had already planned to move ahead on the recommendation by the Salaries Review Board to increase their wages and hoped that a prior boost to civil servants might lessen the chance of an uproar by Government employees?

I don't believe for one second that the information in wasn't known before the rises were given in April. I don't doubt that some civil servants work very hard. I suggest they stop doing so. Why bother when everyone gets paid the same no matter how they perform?

If we believe what Government tells us, the sustainable development plan which it is trying to create is about Bermuda's future.

It's so simple. We have no kids, we have no future. We have a bunch of lay-abouts, we have a horrible future.

According to Premier Alex Scott: "This Premier has attended one funeral too many as a result of violent and lawless acts. I have seen the tears of the parents, heard the strains of hymns and spirituals, sung sweet and low over the tones of sorrowful young friends standing in mourning in the front pew, at the coffin and at the graveside. No more, no more I say can we permit the sowers of lawlessness to reap their bitter crop in this garden of plenty."

It's good that the Premier is able to empathise but what does the Government intend to do? Mention was made by Mr. Scott of a "preliminary study" and "an ongoing review of the target group". Together, he says, they will "diminish the threat and the challenge that we are facing".

You wanna bet? I've said it so often, I'm sure everyone is bored, but for some reason Government seems intent on throwing good money after bad ? stop commissioning studies. Instead of wasting our cash, give more to vital social programmes and you just might save Bermuda for the future.