Dear Editor,
As a former president and board member of the SHTA and still a regular member, I have to agree with Marinka Gumbs’ comments in both daily print papers and on Facebook –
SHTA should stay out of politics; historically that has been the case for the most part.
Our association must be able to work with any and all governments St. Maarten will ever have in the interest of promoting tourism to our island in the broadest sense of the word. Taking sides in a political debate can never be good for the association nor for its members in good standing. Calling for (early/snap) elections to be held on February 9, 2016, is clearly siding with the ousted UPP/Marlin-Romeo/Richardson/the-other-guy coalition and all the new parties that are screaming about “the rights of the people being trampled” and all that other foolishness.
The only good thing that could come out of elections in February of next year, without serious electoral reform (such as maybe instituting that to form a governing coalition, 2/3 of the 15-member Parliament is needed instead of a mere one-seat majority), is that we will probably get rid of the leaping MPs. That is of course if they do not buy their way back into the next Parliament.
Back to the SHTA and Politics: SHTA did a survey. I believe it is safe to say that the method used and, therefore, the results of that survey regarding how many companies actually want snap elections is questionable at best, as according to me one person was able to vote as many times as he/she could get his/her hands on a different computer, smart-phone, etc., etc. And, then last but certainly not least the SHTA has for all intents and purposes thrown the former, well-lauded association president of 13 years under the proverbial election-now bus! What’s “UPP” with that? Here he is, in a position to actually make a difference and the first group of people (outside of the usual suspects that were on the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet’s side of this madness) that want to cut his tenure extremely short, are his friends at the SHTA! In airplane language I am sure Minister Lee must be thinking: Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot!!!!
Michael J. Ferrier
