According to a front-page report (August 2), Gozitans are poorer than the Maltese. I was disturbed not so much by the news itself but by comments by a number of people in Malta who expressed their anti-Gozitan prejudices, among them that they are convinced that the Gozitans are really well off.

Gozitans are not all rich; they spend their money wisely because they know what they have to go through to earn it. And if some of them are rich, what’s the big deal? They work hard for it, don’t they?

Most Maltese visit Gozo at particular times of the year when it’s high season – Carnival, Easter, Notte Gozitana and Santa Marija ­– when everything is more expensive than usual.

On the other hand, when Gozitans visit Malta for a weekend break they do so during the low season, where most things are cheaper than during the high season.

Most Maltese prefer to dine out two or three times a month. On the other hand, the Gozitans hardly dine out because there are many people who prefer barbecues.

Maltese tend to look down on Gozitans as if Malta were a huge country when, in reality, it is only three times the size of Gozo. Every Gozitan holds a Maltese passport and every Gozitan is proud to be Maltese and not just Gozitan.

Being a Gozitan is not easy where you have to leave your family to earn a living. If the Maltese think that Gozo is too expensive then they should better start looking at their own market where rents are ridiculously high. Wardens in Gozo do not single out Maltese to give them a parking ticket; they give a ticket to whoever is breaking the law.

Like anywhere else, there is good and bad in Gozo but it is not fair to tar all Gozitans with the same brush. If you think you are being ripped off, double check to make sure and then file a report at the police station. If you are not given a receipt after purchasing an item, it is your duty to ask for it and if you don’t want to get a ticket make sure you read the signs correctly.

I know for a fact that most Gozitans who work in Malta are treated with less respect simply because they are from Gozo. I think that it’s time for all of us to grow up and start treating people with some respect, which costs nothing but means a lot!