Dear Editor,
In Tuesday's paper, part of what was said by the Prime Minister is: ..Crime prevention is without a doubt everybody's business; police cannot do the work alone, etc. There are no deals to be made in crime prevention so the only other reason for me to wonder why all of a sudden this, is because of what the Public Prosecutor Ton Maan said not too long ago.
In my 42 years in St. Maarten it is the first time that I have noticed any politician spending so many words on the necessity for policing on St. Maarten. I know that I will be reminded that some years ago the government was honouring civil servants, but we all know what that was about.
Even though I am not completely pleased or impressed either with the Prosecutor's Office (VDSM case) De Haan speaks out and all of a sudden public safety and security will rank very high on Governments agenda. If they never bend the tree when it was young and they continuously spared the rod what do they expect? I have said it many time to many politicians over the years that they are not interested with the policing of St. Maarten and up to today nothing has changed from side of Government for the police.
The Prime Minister is a politician and that is what politicians have always done on St. Maarten. They never keep promises made to the people. They have always personally got something out of any project done on St. Maarten. Policing is to the benefit of the public of St. Maarten and there is nothing personally in it for the politicians, so they are not interested. Prove to me different and I will write different.
Just like I have stated that not one piece of legislation in six years to the benefit of the people, so I am also stating that nothing has been done for the police on St. Maarten in more than four decades. It took the death of a policeman to get them bulletproof vests and that was a gift. Not a basic part of their gear. There are several other pieces of equipment which is basic police gear, but not even considered by Government here. Consequence of all of this is it trickles down.
Minister and Members of Parliament driving around with dark glass and or using the cell phone while driving a motor vehicle, so everybody does it and if the police does not act against it, the police is at fault. This is a clear case of do as I say but do not do as I do. And also everybody including the same Prosecutor De Haan and the Minister of Justice constantly see cars driven at night with blue, red or green lights at the front of the motor vehicle and nobody does anything about it.
The only things missing are the presents under the moving Christmas tree. The intention is not to write a book so I will limit myself. However, I have to keep reminding government that there are ways to generate funds so that I can ask for the old age pension to be raised at least to a liveable wage. The amount of people who visit Western Union, etc., daily tell me that a whole lot of money is being made in some fashion by those who are sending it out, so why not tax it a little more and have some remain here?
I will dare to state that this money is not being taxed because it is earned by people who are not legally employed. And by the way, what about not renewing working permits without proof that taxes have been paid? Now some questions that were asked, and in my opinion, are worth contemplating. Someone wanted to know where is there a business owned by St. Maarteners that is housed in a building on St. Maarten?
A group of five St. Maarteners could only come up with six places. One thing brought the next and someone asked, what if the Chinese and the Indians got together and decide to close up shop for three days? My answer was, we survived LUIS. There was much more said that needs policing, but that is a consequent letter.
I have always talked about our pension cant raised while all kinds of things are done with the money and the government pensioners do not get any kind of report concerning that money. The last thing I heard and it sounded very legitimate, is that that project (hotel) that is to be built next to the harbour will be(partly) financed by the general pension fund of St. Maarten, APS. This is nothing to deny, so let us come clean about it, because it is our money and we should have a say in this. It is time that the members of the APS form an association to stop all the hanky panky with their money.
Russell A. Simmons
