Having been on the Island since April 2000, I am once again homeless, relying on other people's good grace for temporary accommodation.

I have shared apartments rented by companies, but have had to move when a lease has run out or people working for the company have arrived on the Island.

I have advertised in all the papers, registered at real estates, asked everyone I know with no luck, and feel my time is running out.

I earn a basic wage and daily look out for affordable rents. Many of my friends have found terrific homes at reasonable, even bargain prices, alas not I.

I hope that someone living central may have an empty or soon to be vacant property. Who will respond to this plea, and house a responsible, reliable female.

HOMELESS BERMUDA St. George's A shocking bill The following was sent to the attention of Mr. Gary Madeiros, chief executive officer of BELCO Holdings Ltd.

January 16, 2001 Dear Sir, I'm writing this letter to you with a certain amount of annoyance and a whole lot of shock (not electric of course) at having just received our December electric bill.

I've received some real electric shocks in my lifetime, (my fault of course), but this one, (not our fault), was a real rude one, to say the least.

Sometime late in December, we returned home to find half of the house without current. Realising it was something beyond our control to correct, I called the Light Co. to send someone to check and correct the problem.

It took the repairman approximately five minutes to find and correct the problem (a blown fuse), and we were very happy after that... that is, until we received our December bill.

What we would like to know Mr. Madeiros, is how can the Bermuda Electric Light Co. justify a $150 charge for such a minor correction? (one which we could not do ourselves,) as we know it is forbidden, and rightfully so, that your customer not mess with that fuse box.

However, can you please explain to us what we are paying all that money for? It is because your company has us over a barrel? We can't do anything about it? Also one other thing, when seeking information about payment of this bill, being it was coupled with the regular bill, I was told it would have to be paid "totally'' by the discount date or lose the discount. Is this fair? We feel we will be penalised additionally for something that was beyond our control. I ask you again, is this fair? We dread to think what effect this kind of policy would have on people with "limited'' means.

As we don't expect a reasonable response to this query, I'm copying this letter to the Editor of our daily newspaper in hope that public exposure of this type of situation will bring a quick response from yourself, or your Company.

GERALD LAWRENCE Smith's Parish It's our business The following was sent to Hon. Baroness Scotland of Asthal British Foreign Commonwealth Office London and copied to The Royal Gazette .

November 20, 2000 Dear Madam, The British government is not to be involved in Bermuda's affairs unless we have a disturbance here of great magnitude or we are attacked and occupied by USA, Argentina or some other foreign power.

Referring to the decision of our government I respectfully remind you that your government proposed and carried out the reduction in the House of Lords amid much huffing and puffing from the old guard.

There was not a suggestion of a referendum being held. Our old guard here seem to think that Britain can interfere in our deliberations anytime it feels like it.

I beseech you to instruct your representative to refrain from making statements to the press to the effect that such interference will occur given certain circumstances.

Yours respectfully, ROSS TUZO Warwick, Bermuda Students give thanks The following was sent to Dr. Ewart Brown, MP Minister of Transport and copied to The Royal Gazette .

January 15, 2001 Dear Dr. Brown, On behalf of the Student Council at The Whitney Institute Middle School, we would like to thank you for our newly dedicated buses.

We are sure that you put great effort into achieving this goal. Our students have given us their promise that they will exhibit good behaviour while getting on and off the buses.

If you have any problems with the Whitney students and their conduct please let us know. Also if you need the Student Council's assistance or help in any of your further projects please do not hesitate to ask.

Once again we would like to say thank you for your hard work.

KARISSA ROBERTS, President Whitney Student Council The cost of cutting ties January 17, 2001 Dear Sir, Maybe I missed it somewhere along the way, but I do not recall seeing an estimate of what the cost of Independence might be.

I have no objections to Independence but can we afford it? Following are some of the considerations.

We will get back Government House but it will probably be renovated (again) at some huge cost just as the Premier's residence.

We will become a member of the United Nations, but at what cost? We will then need an ambassador to the UN who in turn will need a residence, whether purchased or leased, in New York, one of the most expensive places in the world for real estate. And of course he/she will need all of the accoutrements that go with the post; a limousine, a chauffeur, a helper to keep the place shipshape, a chef and a budget for entertaining.

And we will need someone to represent us in the US, UK, Canada and a whole heap of other exotic places.

We will need our own army for defence along with all of the equipment. And we could still be "taken over'' by any other country's armed forces wishing to capture us. It would be interesting to know whether we will be required to provide "peacekeepers'' to the UN when needed? All of the above is recurring expenditures and not a "one shot'' cost.

If we cross the line and use "deficit financing'' as a means of paying these costs, then we get into very serious problems. Once our borrowings exceed the magic number of ten percent of GDP the interest rate on overseas borrowings will go up and an increasing amount of income will be needed to pay the interest on the debt.

And then we have the inevitable devaluation of the Bermuda dollar and one will soon need a wheelbarrow to put enough money in to go shopping.

I could go on drawing examples from our neighbours to the south but in all seriousness I think that the Ministry of Finance needs to make every Bermudian aware of the cost of "Independence'' before we cut ties with the UK.

WATCHDOG Sandys Parish