Dear Editor,
I am sure that the people who came to St. Maarten for, let me say, alternative reasons, did not come to St. Maarten to get a permit to drive bus nor taxi. I am writing this because of the continued observations being made concerning especially taxi drivers who explain to their passengers more about their country of origin than of St. Maarten.
What I have personally experienced is that a female tourist who arrived at the airport and was directed to the next taxi in line could not understand what the taxi driver was telling her. I was close enough to them to realise that there was a language barrier (island twang as opposed to an American accent).
That lady, who was not staying at a known hotel, tried to explain to the taxi driver where she would be staying. He did not know the area, and she could not understand what he was saying. My intention was to intervene, but my ride had just arrived and by the time I put my luggage in the car I realised that the lady had gone to get another taxi. That was that.
On reading Mr. Richardson's letter to you concerning taking care of the St. Maarten people, I look at it this way. Being a policeman for so many years here, I know who from where and who was born here legally and, not and I also know who comes and get without doing anything about it. Because all over the world the level of education is in grades, there are doctors, lawyers, schoolteachers, nurses etc. down to the labourers. Along with that, not everybody is apt to learn the same, but they are entitled to be married and have a family.
So I would suggest that the government would reserve taxi and bus licences for born St. Maarteners of that level. As I started this letter, people who come to St. Maarten to look for employment should not expect to get a taxi or bus licence. And I blame those politicians who for the of a vote disregarded the legitimate St. Maarteners(sons of the soil) and gave away licenses to naturalised foreigners.
But I should not be surprised, because I explained many years ago that politics and integrity do not go hand in hand. Now this question. When is the government going to oblige businesses, (especially supermarkets) to provide an itemised receipt so that the shoppers will be able to compare prices and decide where they will shop for what.
And I will add that every week the price of at least five items increases by one quart in the supermarkets. I have proven it to myself. From the 15th of one month to the 15th of the next month, three times I went with the identical shopping list and there was a difference of Fls. 2,30 between the first and the third purchase.
I believe that the complete government apparatus needs a good shaking up. I think now, with the increase in all kinds of crime, the government has to reflect on what is being said about a hungry man.
Russell A SIMMONS
