How interested and delighted I was to read the article in the Bermuda Audubon Society's newsletter entitled `The FACTS ABOUT THOSE CATS'.

I am an ardent animal lover and can fully appreciate and understand the Bermuda Feline Assistance Bureau's concern in wishing to look after these wild cats. I can appreciate their being fed. I can appreciate their being trapped and neutered. I cannot even begin to appreciate or even understand why these cats are then released once again into the wild.

Not one single person that I have spoken to understands any better than I. No one is asking for them to be put down. What one is asking, is for them to be trapped, neutered and given homes. In this way Bermuda would, in a few years, be rid of these feral cats.

I have actually seen one of these feral cats kill a blue bird in the Penhurst Park. Since then, I have not seen one bluebird in this Park. In this same park I have seen a young mostly white calico cat which would make a lovely pet for someone. Why leave it in the wild to destroy our limited and precious wild life? There is so little open space left for our bluebirds, our lizards and other wild life. Surely this is one of the reasons for our parks. Not for the feral cats and not for the wild chickens which are also being fed and watered by the BFAB people.

If you have the time wonder around the Vesey Street area and just look at the amount of soil erosion that has been created by these chickens being fed by BFAB and just look at the trash they have left behind such as bowls and feeders.

It has depressed me for sometime now that no one seems to worry or care about the destruction that these feral cats are creating to our wild life.

Therefore, I was so pleased to read the Audubon Society's newsletter which included facts and proven statistics. It really is exceedingly interesting and I do hope that our newspapers will print, in full, their report for the general public to read and understand.

Before the BFAB people jump up and down in mass hysteria may I say that nobody but nobody is blaming the cats. This is their natural instinct no matter how well they are fed. They are in the wrong place. Their place is not in our parks but looked after by mankind. It is you that are misguided in your kindness.

Please, something truly has got to be done to rectify this situation before more of our natural wildlife is destroyed.

DISTURBED Pembroke The waiting game January 9, 2001 Dear Sir, Eyes down, Handbrake on! So as not to confuse our delightful ladies who will be operating the new taxi dispatching service, do not be alarmed when you see a large number of taxis stationary in the same area between the hours of 8.30 p.m. and 11 p.m. daily.

It is not a malfunction, they are actually playing Bingo! STILL WAITING FOR TAXIS AT THE AIRPORT St. Davids Time for change, now January 9, 2001 Dear Sir, On a recent visit to Bermuda, I was made very aware of a few problems, affecting the environment, and the people in general.

Being that I am Bermudian, these negative things sadden me greatly. In response to the article on December 29, 2000, regarding the reduced rate of tourists visiting last year. I heard it said that Bermuda is `dirty and smelly'. This I could not see myself, but obviously this individual did.

I did notice, however that the trash, put out to be collected, was not picked up for a number of days. This alone was unsightly, and if left long enough, unhealthy to the population.

It seems that the present Government is not being very effective, but is causing much negativism in many people. Personally, I think that it is time for a change, not two years from now. Bermuda could, and will probably in a very bad state if this length of time is allowed to pass. The people should be allowed to have a say in the matter, and form a new Government.

Regarding the price to live there: Most things from food to clothes are very expensive and make it very difficult for those of us who may like to come to live; an impossibility I, for one could not survive financially under the existing conditions. Regarding independence: The present powers that be should take a look at other islands, that have gone this route, and greatly regret it, many are bigger than Bermuda, and it has not been for their good.

Bermuda is too small to even consider such action. As it stands now we have the best of both worlds, so why jeopardise the privileges? ELIZABETH ZUILL BEARDWOOD Lincoln, Rhode Island Grab the opportunity January 13, 2000 Dear Sir, I bring to your attention the issue of Dr. Ewart Brown (PLP) being obliged to give up his American citizenship so that he could legally serve as an MP, whilst Mr. Michael Dunkley (UBP) was not obliged to because of legal niceties. As it was Mr. Dunkley's party that chose to imply that it was improper for a MP to hold a second citizenship, your correspondent calls upon Mr. Dunkley to either immediately renounce his American citizenship or resign as an MP.

In the meantime, Mr. Editor, I suggest that one of the best things that could happen to any young Bermudian is the opportunity to hold a second citizenship.

As globalisation becomes ever stronger, the old UBP mentality of Fort Bermuda must inevitably give way to the realisation that if our young people are to succeed in today's world, there can be no better experience than the opportunity to live and work in another country for a few years. There is no better example of this than Dr. Brown himself who stands as a terrific role model of just what Bermudians can do when they reject UBP style closed mindedness and petty prejudice.

As for Mr. Dunkley and his lot, they might better spend their time milking a few old sacred cows before they too have to deal with globalisation.

S. WILLIAMS Devonshire