The allocation fell far short of what was needed to be done to fulfill Government's commitment to "eradicate racism'', Opposition Senate Leader Sen.

Milton Scott said.

"We don't see the programmes.'' Sen. Scott said there were many people who felt their lives were determined by racist policies of institutions and that Government had not committed enough resources to bring about "meaningful change''.

The two Opposition Senators who spoke during the Budget debate on the Human Affairs Ministry said the Minister, the Hon. Jerome Dill, clearly had a strong commitment to defeating racism.

But he needed more than an allowance to set up forums to talk about the problem.

Sen. Lawrence Scott (UBP), who began the debate with a 30-minute "anthropological overview'' on the current state of human relations in Bermuda, said the issue should not be judged by the $30,000 allocation.

"Throwing money at the problem is not the way to deal with it,'' he said.

Progress was achieved through "changes in attitudes'' which was more than a matter of dollars.

Sen. Milton Scott indicated Government had to be more sensitive to people.

Police investigations of the writers of The Nationalist magazine and the recent flyer attacking the Royal Visit, for example, was wrongheaded. Rather, Government should be looking beyond words printed "to the motivations behind such documents''.

He questioned the rightness of the Police investigations given Bermuda's Constitution which guaranteed freedom of speech and freedom of association.

On other Ministry matters, Sen. Milton Scott said the National Drugs Commission seemed to be having a difficult time getting things done. He attributed its apparent slow progress to too many personalities.

To "hear hear'' from other Senators, he exhorted Commission members blocking progress to resign.

"Just move aside and let someone else get aboard to bring about the kind of leadership to that organisation that the country needs,'' he said. "Let's get on with the job. Let's get on with the real war on drugs in this community.'' Government Sen. Michael Winfield reiterated Sen. Scott's position that the problem of racism cannot be legislated away. Similarly, the fight against drugs could not be won by rules and regulations.

He said Mr. Dill's aim was to involve Bermudians to be part of the answer. And steps toward an answer were created through hope and involvement.

United Bermuda Party governments over the years had always sought to keep the economy vibrant enough to create opportunity and to building a good eduucation system so that no one was left behind.

Sen. Terry Lister (PLP) said the UBP had been very effective in talking about issues.

"That's where the problem lies.

It's action that this country is waiting for and we don't see it.'' He said half the $30,000 race relations budget was for advertising forums.

"People don't want talk. They want to know their lives are going to be changed.''