has taken on the appearance of privileged and unprivileged tiers. Some people seem to get what they want while others do not. Then too there are constant reports of graft and pay-offs usually concerning Planning and Transport Control. Clearly that is undesirable, whether or not the reports are true. We think Bermudians want their Government to be simple, direct, fair and honest.

Sometimes problems seem to exist because of the multitude of regulations.

There is little doubt that Bermudians are over governed and swamped by Government requirements to do this and not that and to fill out forms and more forms. Over governing only leads to more over governing because those who govern need to be governed, and so it goes. It is clear to us that most Bermudians think of the Civil Service not as a help but as a burden.

Many of the forms we are asked to complete prove very little except that before we get used to one there is another and we pay civil servants to count them. Some of the forms are simply around because no one has taken a look at whether or not we really need them. It is easy to believe that some Government employees spend a good deal of time thinking up new forms to keep their helpers occupied. Too often civil servants seem to be engaged in making work for other civil servants. Pass a new law, there will be new forms. And so it grows.

Part of the problem is the number of cabinet ministries and the growing number of departments within those ministries, all of which have to be housed and staffed and paid for. Government just seems to grow. As a result, Bermuda is way over governed and way over regulated. One of the prime examples of that is the requirement that we all register to vote every year, a requirement which is never enforced. Another is the complex holiday trading licences which grant Christian merchants permission to sin but serve very little purpose except to keep someone busy with paper work.

The prime example must be the highly complex tax structure which slowly drives importers mad. The variety of percentages of import duty are confusing, the paper work burdensome and the running about so time consuming that the process also becomes very costly. The collection of other taxes by businesses for Government is not much less burdensome. We entirely agree that Government has to collect taxes but it should try cooperating with those taxed to make the system as easy as possible.....simple, direct, fair and honest.

What we are suggesting is a hard look at Government to see what is now going on which can be discarded and what is still being done which has become unnecessary over the years. In other words, a housecleaning.

Once we have identified the areas of Government which are not essential then we have made a start. Each cabinet minister should be required to "edit'' the ministry and make recommendations for cuts and efficiencies. The object is a lean and efficiemt civil service which serves rather than burdens the public.

Start with the Ministry of Education.