I read an article in the Mid-Ocean News, Friday August 25th, 2000, entitled `US election could well be greeted by voters with a big yawn' -- by Alvin Williams.

Mr. Editor on Sunday, 3rd September 2000, I was watching BBC News on TV, and there was a panel made up of a Dutch, a French and must have been two British.

Among the subjects of discussion was this coming US election. The consensus of opinion was that, outside of the US the other nations are interested in this coming US election, and I think that Americans will be no less interested.

Therefore, I disagree with Mr. Williams that this election could be greeted with a big yawn.

I think that Americans are interested, and will become more interested and that more people will become interested. I think it is an interesting election and therefore people are going to go to the polls and vote.

Mr. Williams said that there are no real burning issues to motivate the people; less political excitement generated by the candidates, and falling voter participation in recent years. He continued to say that unless Americans are suddenly plunged into a sudden recession or have to deal with a threatening international crisis between now and November then for many this election is likely to be greeted with a big yawn.

I think that there are real burning issues that Americans are concerned about, e.g. Education. The people are concerned about the quality of their schools, the quality of education and their kids going to college. Next, they are concerned about the availability of affordable medicine, and more so as it relates to seniors. They are also concerned about Social Security, and last but not least is the big Budget Surplus.

Mr. Bush said that the surplus is the peoples' money, therefore he would give it back to the people, and we all know who would get the lions share of that -- those who need it the least. Mr. Gore on the other hand would keep it as a safety net for Medicare and Social Security. Americans are concerned with what will happen to the surplus, and the continuation of the booming economy, therefore, come November, they are going to speak with their votes. They are actually speaking now. Look at the polls.

As for excitement, Mr. Gore is certainly whipping up some excitement since the Democratic Convention. One of the men on the panel I mentioned earlier described Mr. Gore's campaign as "picking up steam'' since the Democratic Convention. Mr. Bush led Mr. Gore in the polls from since the Primaries. After the Republican Convention, he even widened the lead, then almost overnight, after the Democratic Convention, the lead of up to 17 percentage points was wiped out. Again, on the panel I mentioned earlier, they quoted News Week of giving Mr. Gore a ten percentage points lead. The last CNN poll that I saw, they had Mr. Gore with just over one (1) percentage point lead, but said that there are other polls which give him a wider margin.

Any yawning will be done by one of the Parties on the night of November 7th, I think it is the night of the election. I don't think Mr. Williams will be yawning either.

RENDOL JAMES They will be remembered September 9, 2000 Dear Sir, As two travellers from the United States, my mother and I wanted to write and thank the two kind Bermudian ladies who helped us during our trip here.

On Thursday, September 7 we were stranded at the Dockyard, in front of the bank, without enough cash and a lady gave me a bus ticket to get back to my hotel.

Then, on Sunday, September 10 while waiting in the pouring rain for a bus back to Hamilton, a lady stopped, backed up, picked us up, and gave us a ride into town.

Both of these thoughtful ladies went out of their way to help two complete strangers. We were so grateful for the kindness they showed us.

We hope you will publish this letter so that they and everyone else will know how much we appreciated their generosity. Thank you very much.

TWO AMERICAN VISITORS City of Hamilton Venom is no surprise September 8, 2000 Dear Sir, I was one of the hundreds of people present at the meeting held last night to review the Green Paper on Long Term Residents. I heard a lot of bitterness and resentment coming through from born Bermudians -- mostly black -- who were present. It is my opinion that a lot of that bitterness comes from years of abuse of the status granting process by the previous Governments. From the 1950s through to the 1980s, it was common for folks to come to Bermuda, mainly from the UK, as policemen, nurses, secretaries etc. Before you could say Jack Robinson, they had served their time at their original jobs, got their status and opened businesses or were installed in managerial positions. Every Bermudian over a certain age has memories of people coming in with fabulous credentials on paper only to have to be taught their job by a Bermudian who was already doing it. Good, hard working Bermudians were treated with a barely disguised condescension and routinely passed over for promotions. No wonder there was so much venom poured out at the meeting. That is not to say that some of these status Bermudians haven't made a contribution to the prosperity of this country. They have, but they have also benefited immensely from being here themselves. It is a two way street. However, what has been done in the past is over and we have to right some wrongs and make our way forward from here. Since I didn't get a chance to express myself at the meeting. I have mailed the following letter to the minister and I want to make my concerns public.

MRS. CHARLOTTE TUCKER Where are our priorities? September 15, 2000 Dear Sir, I have just been listening to Nelson Bascome on last evening's news, talking on the subject of children's food. It sounded like kicking the ball to the next player, this time to the Education Department, the teachers, as if the teachers did not have enough to do! Advice should have been taken from other countries long ago and a detailed plan made before now, detailed but a simple one. England for one has been caring for the nourishment of it's children for generations. From birth. Every school age child had half a pint of free milk every morning break for over 50 years. Also free school lunches daily without the sigma to the child of being given food differently from other children.

Bermuda is high on the list of most wealthy countries in the world. A proper plan should be made and carried out by the Government and the school PTAs for something of a none profit nature. Vouchers should be available both to busy parents to buy, and given free to those parents who cannot afford them, for box lunches.

Small containers of milk should be supplied to the schools each day for those who want them, paid for by the Government, and cereal too if required. A room, small hut or kiosk should be made available for the distribution mid morning (or early morning) trays of them to be put on class meals tables outside, or in classrooms in inclement weather. A class monitor (on a daily roster) to see that everyone cleans up the debris.

It should be the Government, our elected members, who pay for this with our tax money, instead of subsidising wealthy hotels chains to build hotels here, or spending, as they do, on Government travel and cars etc. Where are their priorities? A VOTER/TAXPAYER Paget One unhappy customer September 17, 2000 Dear Sir, Mutiny on the Dockyard ferry; Last night my husband and I left the Jazz Concert early. We arrived at 10.30 p.m. and were directed by ferry personnel to be seated on what we believed was the 11 p.m. ferry. A half hour later another smaller ferry was berthed alongside ours and the later arriving passengers were directed to it. After they were seated, only a few of we, "the early bird'' passengers were then asked to get on this ferry and we were told we had another two hours to wait for the 12.30 (left at 1.00 a.m.) ferry.

Needless to say we were all irate and in a mutinous mood at the lack of apology from Roland (ferry employee), no possibility of a refund or taxi (all taken). Several elderly passengers told me they waited three hours in total to leave dockyard. When we finally left on the last ferry, it was definitely overcrowded -- passengers seated on steps and standing, packed like sardines.

If the Jazz Concert is to be an international event, the ferry service must be improved. In particular two ferries are needed at 11 p.m. Also ferry employees must halt the entrance to a newly arrived ferry till all passengers on the second ferry are reassigned to the correct ferry.

A TOTALLY DISGRUNTLED FORMER FERRY PASSENGER