Dear Editor,
Again a feeling of betrayal came up in me while reading the article in which a consensus document was signed on how to address the abuse of short-term labour contracts. As always has been the case, this is an election year, and all of these so-called pleasant promises are emerging. I used the term 'betrayal' because when you make a deal with people and they trust you to comply, and instead you back down on your promise, and you cater to their opponents that is a form of betrayal.
The past has proven over and over that politicians choose specific words to address the public. In this case, ironically, it is address. Meaning we are going to talk about the short-term contract (six-month contract, as it is popularly known). No promise was made to solve the problem, or better yet, to eradicate this ever ongoing abuse of humans. If this problem is addressed and not solved, 'We tried' is nothing new.
Yes, it is new; it will be new to those who replaced those who were not taken back. I have repeatedly mentioned that laws can be changed with a transition period attached, when necessary. So am I impressed with that news? Definitely not. Another case of our own people are being used to slap our own people in the face. I would save that newspaper clipping to prove to all those in the picture that they are frauds, when after years this problem is still not solved. And I will not be ready to apologize, because this could have been solved many years ago.
Every time I hear people, who come up with this kind of talk, it reminds me of ostriches after the fact. Names like William, Richard, Sarah, Theo, etc. have all been mentioned in the past addressing this issue and they are still there, so why does anyone expect me to fall for another scheme.
I used the word scheme because of the history behind this issue. Because of the number of parties, there are a whole lot of candidates, and there are certainly a whole lot more that 15 newcomers, who are also capable of doing a good job in government. Frankly speaking, I am not going to vote for any of the older politicians, who have been in government, and I would firmly advise everyone to do the same. I will not impose on anyone whom they should vote for, but if it depended on me, none of those politicians who are presently in government could get my vote. Not one of them care about the people who voted for them.
I would dare anyone to let the public know what they have done in favour of the community at large. Why is it that a civil servant, who started to work for Fls. 240,00 a month, and forty-odd years later, built himself up to a lifestyle of five to six thousand Guilders a month, not entitled to the same salary two years after he is retired to also ease himself back into the lifestyle according to his pension? Those older politicians got so accustomed to living off the people, that they are taking it for granted that this is how it should continue.
Do not put them back in! They have made too much money without doing one thing to protect the people. Very high house rent; supermarket prices going up every day, yes every day; games are being played with the gas- and gasoline prices, and more and more cars on the road. People walking over Pondfill Road reaching town before those driving because of slow traffic. I do not know who is profiting from this problem with the slow traffic, but one thing is sure, the gasoline stations are not complaining and neither is (are ) their supplier(s).
I know people will say that Sint Maarten ain't worse than anywhere else, and I would say, if I am accustomed to living at a level 8 and it falls to a level 6, for me it is worse than you who are used to living at a level 6, and it remains at a level 6. We know who have been in there for years, and we also know that it has not gotten any better. Court case after court case, fraud, embezzlement, vote buying, ship jumping, throwing down governments one after the other, shuffling of the members of government-owned companies, and the list goes on.
But none of this in favour of the people, who put them there, election after election. "Out wid dem". Things cannot get worse than they are now. So, I would suggest no votes for those who are already in government. We also know who the ship jumpers are, and what they stand for. You either do it my way, or I am jumping ship. Do not only address the short-term labour contract; eradicate it. Yes get rid of it and make use of the transition period if necessary.
Russell A. Simmons
