Dear Editor,
I listened attentively to the Prime Minister’s answer concerning public transportation (if you can call it that) and again it made me sick. He stated that this is on the governing programing 2016-2020 and went on to say that some kind of a service beside bus and taxi transportation should be introduced to be able to accommodate those who need transportation at odd times of the day (or night).
Again, our politicians, in this case PM Marlin, are (I'm fighting hard to use a euphemism saying) fooling us by pretending as if it is so difficult to get public transportation regulated in order to accommodate all the people on a mere 16-square mile of land. I am adamant in my belief that public transportation, especially bus transportation, should be in the hands of the public (government). We are not protecting the pillar of our economy by running the risk of gypsies transporting tourists with all ensuing consequences in case of any mishaps.
Public transportation should be able to reach all points of this 16-square-mile of land. PM Marlin himself told us about the person from Anguilla who comes to Sint Maarten, rents a car and runs gypsy and goes back to Anguilla in the evening, saying business is good. I do not know what he was trying to accomplish by that, but I would think of myself as incompetent after so many years in government in various capacities, and could not get help from the Dutch (my partners), who for years now, are no. 1 in the world in infrastructure of both the country and public transportation, and also no.1 in eye-care.
I added eye-care because we do not have an eye doctor on Sint Maarten. So why are we partners with the Dutch if all they can for us is to lock-up our people, using them to catch bigger fish. The Dutch always say, "Voor wat hoort wat". If this is so, then since they are locking up our people to follow the money, give us something back that we could use. For instance a few eye doctors and advice, or even help in fixing the public transportation, along with treating our pensioners on the same basis in the whole kingdom.
If we are kingdom partners, why let a whole island suffer for the deeds of a few? PM Marlin also knows about the large number of bus permits controlled by politicians and potential Ministers. He also knows that there are persons who have a permanent job, and also have a bus or taxi license. If PM Marlin is going so far as to regulate things as to be able to accommodate illegals, or even worse, if illegals are so powerful that their behaviour has government with its hands in the air, that is not saying much about him as PM.
Take the bull by the horns! Start the Sint Maarten Bus Company (SM.B.C.). Use the transition period to get rid of the personal permits, and use Holland (your partner) to help you with bus routes, etc. This is a way to alleviate the dense traffic and also get rid of the gypsies. They are illegal anyhow!
By the way, the nucleus of Sint Maarten could cause an international war every time anyone speaks of another country, because we are a melting pot of nationalities, so that does not even bother me anymore. Besides that, it is here that they are; we are not there doing it to them, they are here doing it to us.
Finally, someone has caught on and understands that we have to define who is a Sint Maartener, otherwise we are continually going to be like our Prime Minister; being careful and afraid to say what frankly has to be said. Our people have travelled the whole Caribbean and plenty of the world, and have often experienced a different kind of welcome than is displayed here on Sint Maarten, so they are also frustrated when they find themselves being skipped over for others.
So to repeat myself and amplify Minister Jacobs, we have to define who is a Sint Maartener to be able to do what every, and I repeat, every other of the surrounding islands and beyond do, put our people first. To sum it up, we need a government Sint Maarten Bus Company, we need eye doctors, we need our infrastructure adjusted for public transportation, we need Sint Maarteners in these positions and we cannot any longer permit illegals handling our visitors (gypsy).
Do not implement that irregular transport, or whatever the intention is to call it. Let the S.M.B.C. do its work first, let the hotels provide their transportation if necessary after the S.M.B.C is working. The taxi's will do their share, and then, if necessary, deal with that irregular transportation situation. Where there’s a will there's a way!
Now this question directly to the Prime Minister. I worked 41 years for government, yes government, and built up a certain salary. When I went on pension we all know what happened to that salary. Why should a member of Parliament, no matter what he or she did before, who worked only 4 years and had all those additional goodies, have rights to a tapering off compensation for two years, and not me and many of us who worked 10 times or more than that Member of Parliament? And should it really be so that I should be still paying tax contributing to, in my opinion, that kind of rip off. Especially when there has totally not been any kind of legislation coming from those MPs improving life on Sint Maarten?
Russell A. Simmons
