Regarding the new Channel 10 -- "Discovery Kids''.

Tell me if I am missing something here? Is there some reason that we are now subjected to "Discovery Kids'' -- a Spanish children's channel? I was under the impression that most of Bermuda's pre-school population speak English. I know that my three-year-old daughter does. We are sorely missing the educational, fun, moral (and English!) programming that Nickelodeon had to offer, but why would that matter to Cablevision? Can we please have Nickelodeon back? If not, I look forward to a reduction in rates.

UNIMPRESSED MOM Warwick Parish Expat CEO speaks out February 23, 2000 Dear Sir, Madame Premier, PLP and Bermuda, it's time to listen! To preface this letter, let me tell you that I am the CEO of a successful exempted company and that I have been here for almost 20 years. During that time, I have paid over $1 million in land transfer tax/stamp duty to Bermuda.

My yearly personal charitable donations by far exceed the paltry $35,000 that the fat cat parasites of BIU gave out in support last year. My wife spends countless hours on various charities each week. And I direct my company to donate close to $500,000 to some 30 charities annually. My personal name and that of my company appear on many a plaque around Bermuda. You get the picture. I have done more for Bermuda in my "short'' time here than 95 percent of Bermudians have done for their country in their lifetimes.

Recently "A Concerned Citizen'' complained about the foreign accents she heard in town and that "those people'' were stealing her children's jobs.

Terry Lister complains about everything foreign from the PLP side of his mouth while he sends his kids to an elitist school in Canada (yes, he even attended it himself 20 years ago!). Expats are being abused on a daily basis, in the media, on the street and by the Government.

Let's just examine what the expats do for Bermuda: Exempted Companies contribute $760 million of foreign currency to Bermuda, 80 percent of the total. We pay $355 million in local salaries and $193 million in fees to local lawyers and accountants. We pay lots to landlords and unqualified service providers. We paid over $63 million in taxes to Bermuda in 1998. I recommend that the PLP and other concerned Bermudians hurriedly search their dictionaries for the term "multiplier effect'' to understand what this means to Bermuda's economy. In short, the wealth and experience that exempted companies bring to, and distribute within this Island, is tremendous and one without which Bermuda could not sustain its artificially high standard of living. Tourism has certainly been driven away by exorbitant costs and this will never reverse, irrespective of the number of Gombey dancers vacationing in France or Switzerland.

What do Bermudians do for Bermuda? If you enjoyed any of the fabulous Festival events this season, you may be proud that all of 13 Bermudian individuals and companies are financial supporters. Great support, right? Any expats, you might ask? Yes, 38! Look at the walls of the National Gallery, the Maritime Museum, BUEI and BAMZ. Not many "Front Street'' names there. Zero PLP names.

But again lots of expats. Same goes for a majority of the more important charities. We, the expats and exempted companies, hire and try to train Bermudians, your sons and daughters, whenever possible. But we need to be able to compete among the best in the world and we can only do that if we employ the best people in the world. That takes IQs of well over 100 and it is utterly unrealistic to believe that Bermuda, among its 60,000 people, would produce proportionately more of those than any other comparable community in the developed world. It is utter rubbish when the Finance Minister says that the new Budget "empowers Bermudians''. All it does is increase the tax on exempted companies and the expats who own houses here. That Budget cost my company an additional $250,000 in payroll tax and $10,000 on my land tax. I guess I could reduce our charitable donations commensurately. That would unfortunately hurt the poorer people, but then, are they not the ones who voted for the PLP? So what needs to be done in Bermuda? Improve public education! One generation is already lost. A few additional truancy officers are not going to raise the pitiful level of public education, only world class teachers can do that.

Forget Bermudianisation and hire the best person for the position! Go back to vocational training for the lesser IQs. They need careers, not empty promises that also they can run exempted companies in the future (you can't do knuckle handshakes and high-fives in board rooms). Start an assembly plant at the Baselands and finance a fishing fleet to harvest what the Japanese and Russians are now taking out of the waters in Bermuda's vicinity. Reduce the ARV level for foreign ownership so that again 500 houses can attract that penal 22.5 percent transfer tax, as 20 to 50 of those would change hands on a yearly basis.

Above all, put a gag on xenophobic windbags like Arthur Hodgson, who is reported in today's newspaper to have uttered ridiculous remarks on expats, i.e. biting the very hand that feeds him and the Island. Watch out or, to paraphrase Ross Perot, you will soon hear that great sucking sound of all international business leaving Bermuda.

AN EXPAT CEO City of Hamilton Getting cut short February 17, 2000 Dear Sir, I write this letter in response to the headline (Government to allow bigger cars) in The Royal Gazette dated Wednesday, February 9, 2000.

While there was talk of this in the pipeline, I took my 12-year-old car to TCD for its annual inspection last June and was told that my car was an inch too long and therefore was failed. Nothing has been changed on my car for the 12 years I've owned it. I was baffled and told the examiner that my car had been licensed every year for 12 years, how could it now be an inch too long? I was told I had to have it shortened.

I left three messages with Mr. Donald Dane's secretary for him to please call me regarding this matter, but alas, he never returned my calls. They finally allowed me to license my car for one month during which time I had to get it shortened at a considerable cost to myself.

I tried explaining that bumpers were on cars for a reason, to protect you in the event of an accident. When you cut them and place them against the body of the car you're cutting down on the protection in case of an accident.

I would like to suggest to the Transport Minister, Dr. Brown that he license certain auto garages to carry out the vehicle testing and thereby eliminate the need for vehicle examiners at TCD.

DAVID J. JAMES Warwick Take gloves off, retailers February 25, 1999 Dear Sir, The PLP's budget does not reveal a government that understands its economy, or delivers on its election promises.

In particular, the PLP's increase of taxes on the high-end retail sector (on natural fibre garments and on property) drives another nail in the industry's coffin. What happened to the promises to consider duty-free shopping or duty rollbacks on store improvements?! The UBP ignored the needs of the retailers to chase the golden star of international business. Now the PLP ignores them to institute various hazy social programmes. The retailers are an important component of our economy in terms of hiring Bermudians and paying our tax burden. We need to foster their growth -- not treat them like mute milk cows. What will happen when the retailers -- in the face of Government disinterest and hostility -- cannot continue? It's time for the retail community to take the gloves off.

BUY BERMUDIAN Warwick Budget report was tops February 21, 2000 Dear Sir, Your style of reporting is conducive to a masterpiece of journalism. Your format in Saturday's edition in my humble opinion was head and shoulders above any top newspaper in the world. Your coverage of events in that edition (the day after the Budget) proved that The Royal Gazette's journalists are outstanding in every right.

I know I will be criticised for these comments but that does not take away from the professionalism of the reporting. You guys really showed your colours. Why not give credit when credit is due? Of course the writer of this article will hesitate to say that I am always well pleased with all of your reporting, absolutely not, but I am bold enough to stand and be counted.

PALMER WADE Devonshire Prices raised for visitors February 22, 2000 Dear Sir, What do tourists complain about most? The price of a Bermuda vacation.

What do they do about it? They go some place else.

What do we do about it? Increase the duty on tourist merchandise 40 percent.

MAD HATTER'S TEA PARTY Hamilton Help save our skinks February 11, 2000 Dear Sir, Primary 5 at Heron Bay School is starting a Save the Skink Association. We are asking for help from the people of Bermuda. We need information and pictures about the skink. We want to know anything and everything about the skink like: breeding habits, what they eat, where they live (I know they live on rocks, but I want more specific details.) We really want to help the skink from dying and becoming extinct. It is indigenous to our Island.

We would like anyone with any information about the skink to send it to the Save the Skink Association at Heron Bay School.

EVERSLEY GOVIA Heron Bay School Southampton DRUGS AND SPORTS Help clubs fight drugs February 21, 2000 Dear Sir, After listening to several sports club officials respond to the Opposition Minister of Sports' comments on clubs benefiting from the sale of drugs, I felt compelled to write this letter.

As immediate past President of Bailey's Bay Cricket Club I can speak on fact and personal experience. Club officials are elected by the members who feel that those voted in are responsible individuals who will handle the affairs of the club as such.

No one will deny that drugs are used and sold on any sports club grounds, as we identified at Bailey's Bay. We, like many facilities, asked for assistance from the Police. The then-Chief Inspector of St. George's Police Station advised us to erect no loitering or no trespassing signs around the property, ask the loiterers to move on and if they did not comply, call the Police. In discussions with officials from other clubs I learned they had been given similar advice. Of course, if the Police do not follow up on calls right away, the system fails.

In my experience, they attended, but it was usually a considerable time after the call had been placed. We have also asked them to periodically patrol our premises. It is not my intent to discredit the Police. It is to simply show that the assistance is needed in a timely manner.

This statement by the Shadow Minister has produced plenty of media coverage.

It might be interesting for the media to report how many times a club has asked the Police for assistance, not only with drug related problems, but in having people removed from club property who have been suspended, and the Police informed, or those who are creating a problem and need to be removed.

Clubs need help from the authorities and I trust now they will get the assistance they need.

This problem existed when the Opposition were the government. The MPs now need to look at legislation to help with this club/community problem.

Clubs will not knowingly allow drug sales or use on their properties. The truth of the matter is sports clubs depend on the support of area young people to come into their programmes, and the support this brings from the parents, family members and friends. We are obligated to provide a safe, fun, constructive and drug-free environment that will allow parents to trust our organisation and coaches with the wellbeing of their children. This involvement enables the clubs to survive with "future'' members involved in sports programmes.

Community involvement has played an important roll in the existence of sports clubs since the decline in bar revenue. Years ago our grandfathers, fathers and cousins built these establishments which have evolved into what they are today, a stable, positive and social place for a lot of young people and adults. I do not know of a club member who would allow this type of activity to exist on their grounds and not pressure their "elected'' committee members to act on the issue. There are reliable, responsible and committed people who run these clubs, voluntarily, with a common goal to see the clubs succeed and impact positively on the whole community.

I would like to commend and encourage the presidents, vice presidents, secretaries, treasurers, committee members, coaches and members to push on and continue to provide the services you do for the benefit of our children and community.

I ask again that our Members of Parliament assist with new legislation to help rid our clubs and communities of this disease.

STEPHEN OUTERBRIDGE Hamilton Parish Legalise it, save tourism February 22, 2000 Dear Sir, The punishment meted out to the Police officer who was alleged to be discovered using marijuana while on duty should be the same as if he were discovered using alcohol on duty; possibly less harsh since marijuana is a softer recreational substance than alcohol. Furthermore the only alleged abuse that took place was the abuse of rules and regulations governing the behaviour of Police officers on duty. I hope the powers that be will not allow this young life to be destroyed before it has had the chance to blossom; all because of a relatively harmless puff of smoke. If the Police service is going to pursue "zero tolerance'' towards drugs, then the Police Recreation Clubs must be closed. Zero tolerance will not work any place where any form of drugs are tolerated.

With pressure coming from all around the world calling for the decriminalisation of marijuana, it's bound to happen sooner or later. Bermuda is in an ideal position to follow the example of places like Amsterdam and Belgium and create a lucrative marijuana industry. Right now there are billions of dollars to be made from a legal marijuana industry, but with every place that decriminalises, the opportunity to benefit slips further away.

In order to encourage tourists back to our shores, we have all been wracking our brains and looking at different avenues and ways of doing things. I urge the Tourism Minister to seriously consider recommending the updating of our recreational drug laws. After all tourists do come here for recreation, and no one can deny that the drug alcohol plays a major part in the overall guest experience.

We should display our sophistication in providing a more enjoyable vacation experience by offering our guests a choice between alcohol or marijuana. We would not be the first to make this move, but it will be a crime if we were the last.

AL EASTMOND Devonshire