Dear Editor,
As a child I was explained in different ways that practice makes perfect. Then one day my father told my mother instead of telling the children that, tell them to be the best of whatever they are. When my mother asked him what is the difference, he told her that there was not much difference, but the latter could only be interpreted in a positive way, whereas it would depend on in which way and under which circumstances the former is said. He said one could become very good at lying if one practices lying.
When I read about the latest political developments they remind me the saying prevention is better than cure. If my assessment of the whole situation is right those involved in the latest toppling of government found themselves obliged to rearrange the order of procedures and in doing so had to speed up the process, which caused for that, in my opinion, staged hitch somewhere. So even though some believe that practice makes perfect, I maintain that honesty is the best policy.
There is a saying in Dutch: Al is de leugen o zo snel, de waarheid acterhaalt hem wel (no matter how fast the lie may be, the truth will catch up with it). There are two things here. Either what happened was done at will or it was incompetence of the perpetrator. No matter what the case, neither is acceptable. Because this kind of behaviour has become common practice in government and because of more and more disregard for the people of Sint Maarten it gives me more reason to exclaim “Out with the old and in with the new.”
Now this. A homeowner who lives in the USA and is here to in connection with the repair of her home which was destroyed by Irma asked me why are there four different exchange rates for the dollar on Sint Maarten? She pointed out that at the gas station it is 1.75, at the Receiver’s Office it is 1.78, in the majority of the stores it is 1.80 and in some stores it is 1.82 – a difference of seven cents. I am not sure why this is possible so I referred her to the bank or the Finance Department for explanation.
Russell A. Simmons
