I read the letter to you written by Rev. Dr. L. Santucci on August 3, 1999, regarding the picture of the Premier enjoying her Cup March holiday. I am not usually given to writing letters to the Editor but Dr. Santucci's letter has intrigued me.

Dr. Santucci appears to be incensed that you published a picture of the Premier playing Crown and Anchor at Cup Match. He wrote of his "utter disdain for your reprehensible conduct in plastering a picture of our gambling Premier''. He goes on to suggest "Your peril should be determined by the Hon.

Premier to warrant a public flogging at the Flag Pole on Front Street so all can see.'' Surely the photograph is an accurate depiction of what actually happened, therefore the Premier was actually gambling at Cup Match, as so many of us do.

The Premier was not breaking the law or even doing anything unusual. Dr.

Santucci sees publishing a picture of the Premier playing Crown and Anchor completely reprehensible but he has no problem with a man being beaten on Front Street in public.

The Premier playing Crown and Anchor physically hurts no-one but your public flogging would certainly hurt you.

I guess that's why I could never really commit to Christianity, this kind of thinking really doesn't make much sense to me. But as Dr. Santucci points out, I'm in the minority because I don't see anything wrong with the leader of the Country having a little fun on her day off.

TOSS Pembroke Santucci a `Pharisee' August 18, 1999 Dear Sir, It seems that a particularly self-righteous, sanctimonious Reverend gentleman who signs himself as Santucci is in dire need of compassion. In the latest of his pharisaical outpourings (Tuesday's Royal Gazette, August 17) against Premier Jennifer Smith and others in the leadership of the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party, he begins by stating he wants to be a sacrificial lamb like Christ, and he ends saying he wants to be a pimp, or as he put it in his own words, "a fly on the walls of Buckingham Palace'' when Dame Lois Browne Evans receives the accolade of her well-deserved honour from the Queen.

The Reverend can add substantially to his learning by reading Luke Chapter 18, not so much because therein Christ speaks against bearing false witness, but more because it contains the Parable of the Praying Pharisee and the humble Publican. When he sees the reflection of what a real hypocrite is, he may not be so ready, as he was in his Royal Gazette letter dated August 3 to publicly enumerate the alleged vices of the Premier or anyone else whom he claims he prays for.

IRA P. PHILIP, MBE, JP Former Chairman Bermuda Progressive Labour Party Make every vote count August 9, 1999 Dear Sir, I read with interest the front page article headed "Rebel MPs Escape Punishment'' dated August 9, 1999. I was rather disturbed when I saw that "four rebel PLP MPs'', Derrick Burgess, Reginald Burrows, Elvin James and Dale Butler, decided to leave the House of Assembly and not vote on whether funeral homes should or should not be allowed to own limos.

Mr. Burrows was quoted as saying: "I had quite a bit of lobbying from the Taxi drivers and I `promised' I would support them, but I didn't particularly want to vote against the party at this time.'' A promise according to the Oxford Dictionary is: An explicit undertaking to do or not do something.

Mr. Butler stated that last year taxi drivers had been of some assistance during the last year's PLP General Election campaign. Does Mr. Butler feel some sort of obligation to the taxi drivers for their goodwill during the last election? Further he stated: "I couldn't kick a buddy who is already down any further.'' It would be interesting to know if it wasn't a buddy he was kicking down how this would influence his decision! But Mr. Butler was obviously trying to say something when he stated: "I wanted to speak and I was told I couldn't, so I said to hell with it and I didn't vote at all.'' Thank you very much Mr. Butler for helping us in the democratic process.

As for Mr. Burgess, Head of the BIU, and Mr. James a taxi owner/driver, you are not only affecting yourselves or even 200 persons but 60,000 in the decisions you make. You are elected officials and have the privilege of having a vote in some of Bermuda's most important decisions. Whether our MPs or prospective constituents come door to door campaigning or we read newspaper articles, or listen to TV or radio advertising, the one quote that always sticks out in my mind is "EVERY VOTE COUNTS!'' CONCERNED VOTER Warwick East Questions about scholars August 10, 1999 Dear Sir, It never fails to amaze me how Bermudians can be so accepting of things that are often questionable at best and at worse quite objectionable.

This past week the Bermuda Government handed out the 1999 scholarships and awards. It is interesting to note that in the case of the Bermuda Government Scholarship, of the eight scholarships that were advertised, only five were awarded. The Bermuda Government Scholarship has always had one stated selection criterion, "candidates possessing outstanding academic records'', so where are the Bermudian scholars this year? Has this ever happened before? Here are some more questions that need answers: Does this mean that only eight qualified Bermudians applied for this scholarship? Surely more than eight students would have been short listed? And if there were, what does this say to them about their accomplishments? If three recipients did not accept the scholarship, why were others not selected from the "large numbers'' that we are told applied? Who were the students who did not accept? Shouldn't their accomplishments be acknowledged by the Government? Are we faced this year for the first time with an alarming shortage of students with outstanding academic records? Or has the criterion for selection for the Bermuda Government scholarship changed in the New Bermuda? Even though the value of this scholarship will be increased from $12,500 to $15,000, the $100,000 budgeted for Government Scholarships was not awarded this year, why is that? Are we saving this money for something more important than young people? Is this the same Government which is committed to "removing barriers to the success of Bermudians''? BEWITCHED, BOTHERED AND BEWILDERED City of Hamilton Don't blame PLP for tax August 3, 1999 Dear Sir, There seems to be some truth to the PLP claim that it is only implementing the review of the land tax rates.

The system of land tax was started in 1967 and the rate of taxation was to be reviewed, by statute, every five years. Under the UBP, the last rate raise was in 1989. In 1994 the increase was delayed by vote in the House, I think, until the present. Why? The UBP wanted to stay in power and did not want to upset a major block voters by raising their taxes. At least, this is my cynical view.

The question of whether the massive hike that the PLP implemented can be blamed on the UBP, is another issue.

Land tax at some level is fair if it is a property tax, a parish tax, a system of rates to pay for community services -- garbage collection, street lighting, even the Police service. But when it has been so skewed it is also a redistribute of wealth -- that is, effectively an income tax. I am still trying to guess what Dr. Ewart Brown "plan for Bermuda'' will be. Maybe it will ? a tax on Doctors' income but maybe it won't.

SANDERS FRITH-BROWN Warwick Against income tax August 3, 1999 Dear Sir, I agree with everything Dr. Hodgson said in her letter to the Editor on Monday August 2, 1999, entitled "the Answer is Income Tax'' -- except the part about income tax! I personally Mr. Editor, don't think that one should necessarily be penalised for being rich or because one has the ability to make lots of money. Similarly Mr. Editor, I don't think one should be penalised for being poor or disadvantaged. And I emphatically don't think that one should be penalised for being middle class! In other words, Mr. Editor, I don't think it's the rich person's responsibility any more than it's the middle class person's responsibility to take care of the poor and disadvantaged. It's the Government's responsibility! That's why I would prefer Mr. Editor, that we spend 100 percent of our time assisting, helping, empowering and encouraging those who are not doing well rather than spending a minute on penalising and discouraging those who are! In other words Mr. Editor I'm for progressive taxation rather than income tax! DR. CLARK GODWIN Pembroke