I am appalled by the amount of rubbish (lots of bottles and cans) left around "our'' beautiful island of Bermuda.

We cannot always blame the visitors. I say this because I walk a lot in areas where they do not go very much (i.e. suburbs) so a lot of it must be locals! If everyone cleaned up their own area it would help.

In the UK we have best-kept parish schemes. Could this be adapted here? I am pleased to see the litter picked up on Saturday, but have not seen much publicity about this. (I don't have a TV!) but I do read notices.

"A FOREIGN FLOWER'' Sandys Parish Bermuda has bogs too! May 5, 1999 Dear Sir, I'd like to know what my Government has against Venice. Before they start talking about how smelly the water is, they should go to Mangrove Bay at low tide.

Also, Government claims that "most Scottish golf courses have a view of a bog''. Well, from the third hole of the Southampton Princess course, if you stand at the southeastern end and peer through the trees you can catch a glimpse of the "off duty Police'' public lavatories by Chaplin Bay.

Scotland's scenery is justifiably some of the most breathtaking in the world.

Scotland also boasts a fictitious monster, has loads of men who wear dresses and play loud bagpipes, and also has 1,000-year- old castles.

We have a fictitious drawbridge, men who wear earrings and play loud stereos, and a church, which was left unfinished because of an argument between the elders.

Finally, the annual rainfall in Scotland happens to be substantially lower than that of Bermuda. And so is the humidity -- which makes the comment about damp castles particularly ridiculous.

The final insult thought, has to be the portrayal of the Scotsman with the almost unintelligible accent.

Yeah, Um Um like we don't have the Bermujan equivalent like.

PAGET WEST Lead us to Independence May 7, 1999 Dear Sir, At this time the Government is working very well in the interests of the people. But the nitpicking from the weak Opposition is most disgusting.

When the UBP was the Government and did all the wrong things, they could not see the forest for the trees! But the old-timers always said that what happens in the dark will one day come out in the light.

I am sure that the report in the paper ( Royal Gazette ) about "misappropriation of funds'' is just the beginning. When it is all been exposed, how and when will the Government retrieve these monies? Retrieving the taxes on payroll will be a big boost to the Government.

Today as I look back to the Election Day, it was a desperate call by the UBP.

It is ironic that it was called on the ninth day of the eleventh month. I interpret that as a "911 Emergency''. The people, knowing the injustices served upon us by the UBP, ignored the call completely and expressed ourselves positively with a big change -- the PLP.

Further to that, I see this Government, and particularly our leader, as a present day Moses. The Mastas of colonialism have been in power for 400 years and Moses, with his people, wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. The four and the zero are common in both numbers -- what a coincidence! Ms Smith, I say to you and the party that we, the people, have chosen you as our leader. This government must lead the people out of the wilderness, out of the house of bondage and into the international world of independence. To be a strong Bermuda, with a positive attitude towards the future for the benefit of our children.

If this Government is in power then it must take positive steps for the people of Bermuda. This Government must take control of the Country in every way to ensure for the people that it will make a difference for us as far as justice for all the people is concerned. The evils of the former Government must not be forgotten, and we must make sure that they do not return to dispatch worse evils upon us than before! Please make notice to the people of Independence and, inasmuch as the PLP canvassed door-to-door for the Election, do likewise for this important issue.

Give us time to take notes and prepare ourselves to ask the questions when you knock on the door. We will need that personal attention so that we can again express ourselves fully in your presence.

As I said, if this Government wants to be in full power, then it must make the step and rid itself of outside interference. Remember, every mother expects her child to become responsible for itself and it is time that Bermuda divorces itself from the Mother Country.

Madam Premier, I will trust your judgment and I know the right decisions will be made.

This country needs its own airline and ships and the workers need an honest bank, insurance companies and grocery stores. This country has too few controlling too many, so consequentially the economic pie is not spread around.

The workers control everything for the controllers, but in time the workers become the controllers of our own affairs. This way there will be more profit-sharing amongst the workers instead of profiteering amongst the few.

Madam Premier, we must make a difference.

At this time, I really want Quo Fata Ferunt to have some real meaning for us, the people. Our fate is in your Government's hands, our modern day Moses.

As always, I wish you all well and I will do my part in any way to support this Government.

WENDELL HASSELL Sandys Parish Another awful review May 5, 1999 Dear Sir, I'd like to add my voice to the many people who complain about your awful art critic, Gareth Finighan.

His recent, front page review of the "Unpaid Child Support'' show at Magistrates' Court was disgusting to say the least. To refer to us as "Deadbeat Dads'' was an insult to all non-paying fathers involved in this completely amateur production. All this because we owe the insignificant sum of $7.9 million.

I might ask what research your Mr. Finighan has done in this area? Does he realise that for example, I have a BMW to maintain, a monthly Rangers bar bill to pay, to say nothing of my regular trips down south to the Test Matches.

Where on earth does he expect me to get $100 a week for each of my children's Mamas! When are you going to get someone competent to write these reviews? ED CASE Paget West Print more money May 5, 1999 Dear Sir, Mr. Editor, now that the PLP is the Government of the day, instead of raising taxes like the previous Government, perhaps they'll be able to tell the Bermuda Monetary Authority to work a bit harder and print more money.

Mr. Editor, then they'll be plenty for everyone, including hard-working grassroots Bermudians, Mr. Editor.

DR. CLUCK GOOD-ONE Paget West