Don't give up

I would tell Frank Salt (August 5) no, do not give up. Your views and opinions are generally spot-on, hitting the nail on the head. You often have sensible suggestions or remedies about your well-researched subject and hit home hard at the culprits.

Still, I can see why you may want to give up; after all, few seem to take notice and improvements are slow in coming if at all.

Why is it that the Maltese seem to enjoy shooting themselves in the foot so often over situations that are solely of their own making? So much of what is considered wrong with Malta can, and should, be easily corrected.

Tourism is by far the largest revenue earner, yet despite this many people treat the roads, walkways and beaches as their waste bins. Without going into the merits of how wardens go about their work, I suggest they start ticketing those who throw away rubbish on the ground and out of car windows.

Why can't such offenders be heavily fined, say, a hefty Lm150 for the first offence and double that for repeat offences and have their names published in newspapers? This would help raise money for the improvement of the environment.

Another way to help clean up the island is to take selected offenders who are in prison and who do not pose a threat to the public, organise them into teams and put them to useful work on the roads and pathways. They would, of course, have to be supervised.

Whether a tourist stays in a three- or a five-star hotel, you need his money badly. A tourist's memories of Malta should be of the warm and friendly Maltese, the heavenly weather and places of interest he visits here, not of a dirty and uncared for little island that they would never want to return to.

My wife and I live here, chose to retire here, bought an apartment and invest in the island because we have always been made to feel "at home" here.

Why did we move here? My reply is always the same. "Nowhere is perfect but Malta is special and one day the Maltese will come to believe this as well."