By the numbers

July 27, 2005

Dear Sir,

Some numbers to ponder:

$113.1 million: the amount of money in circulation this Cup match. $4,524: the average per household (25,000). $1,740: the average per person cash in hand to spend on food, drink, clothes or Crown & Anchor this holiday. $50: the average cash in the pockets of the middle class, working people in my office. Who has all this cash to spend?

$201.78 million: The total expenditure on real estate in the last six months, not quite twice the value of the Cup Match play-money in circulation. 95: the number of market rate homes the Cup Match play-money could finance. There is not so much a housing crisis as a major problem with priorities.

$2.1 million: an estimate of the monthly revenue BELCO receives for the estimated 305MWHr of electricity used daily just for residential hot water heating. $7.8M: the dividend Belco paid its shareholders in 2005. 780: the number of Solar Thermal hot water heaters that dividend could finance. $1,011: the annual saving the average household could see on their electricity bill due to solar water heating (20 percent of the average bill). If Belco is serious about conservation it should put it's money where it's mouth is.

$65,000: the cost to taxpayers per inmate in the correction system. $16,000: the cost to tax payers per student in the public education system. 85%+: the recidivism rate for ex-cons. Less than 50%: the graduation rate for public school students in 2005. At least the criminals are learning their trade. The numbers speak volumes.

JONATHAN DYER

Hamilton Parish