Figure was misleading

October 31, 2007

Dear Sir,

I would like to commend The Royal Gazette for bringing to the public's attention the current epidemic we are facing of an overpopulation of cats because people are not spaying and neutering their domestic cats.

However, there was one major point in the article that may have been misleading. The article stated that in the past year over 100 stray kittens had been born in Bermuda.

I so wish this was indeed the case. This figure was an estimate of how many kittens were being fostered by BFAB volunteers in a two-week period in the summer. The annual number is much greater, as unfortunately, there have also been over 100 kittens surrendered to the SPCA Shelter this year alone.

The Shelter is full to capacity and we are desperate to find homes for the cats and kittens we currently are housing. If you can help give one, or two or more, of these cats/kittens a loving home please contact the SPCA on Valley Road, Paget (236-7333).

ROSALIE POWELL

Vice President, SPCA

The cost to taxpayers

October 31, 2007

Dear Sir,

First the BHC "lost" $8 million of taxpayers' money. Now the taxpayers have to pay $100,000-plus for the legal costs as a result of the leaked BHC file.

Soon the taxpayer will have to foot the bill for the US Secret Service, Scotland Yard and others as they try to find who stole the file (even though an individual raised his hand and admitted to the theft and distribution of the information).

BHC's "affordable housing" is getting more and more expensive for taxpayers every day.

KENT SMITH

St. George's

Something is very wrong

October22, 2007

Dear Sir,

A non-Bermudian woman abandons her Bermudian husband and moves back overseas after seven years of marriage. She does not live in Bermuda for the following seven years or even made a visit since 2004.

She then returns after a divorce in 2007 for a short visit, applies for Legal Aid, then leaves to resume living overseas. A local lawyer helps her get Legal Aid approval to fight for a house that her ex-husband built after she left the island and did not contribute to in any way. Is something wrong with Legal Aid and our Legal System?

CURIOUS

Warwick

We deserve to know

October 26, 2007

Dear Sir,

I am a Bermudian teacher working for Service Children's Education in Germany. (Part of the British Ministry of Defence).

I am so shocked that the Minister and the Department are not presenting the graduation facts in a clear transparent way. All stakeholders deserve to know the full picture and in plain English. When the Minister criticises anyone who dares question his department's unique statistical approach it is worrying. I am so pleased that the Press continue to promote debate and thought on this issue

In 2007, how hard is it to produce clear transparent data? Months after the Hopkins criticism we still have not got this key action point operational. We only have a handful of schools!! If the Minister were a company director, his analysis of his schools' performances would put his tenure in jeopardy.

Please keep reporting this issue so that for everyone's sakes it gets resolved in a plain and simple way.

RUSSELL DAVID

Germany

Flag was upside down

October 31, 2007

Dear Sir,

I wonder if the King of Saudi Arabia noticed, as I did, that the Saudi flags on the Mall in London were upside down for his state visit (see back page of RG yesterday).

I guess UK/Saudi relations are worse than we thought. Perhaps your colleagues at Reuters might like to point it out.

VEXILLOLOGIST

Sandys