Dear Editor,
After much posturing, political spin and attempts at character assassinations we have a government with a minimum majority of eight. In reaching here we have played political hardball with the Governor. From the outset we refused to see the function of the Governor and the person holding the office as one and the same. Simply put, we must get it our way and it doesn’t matter who pays the price. We are doing our people a disservice when our only purpose is to spread discord and confusion.
The Governor figured too prominently is the whole debacle of dissolving Parliament and calling snap elections. If the separation of powers were applied, as they should have been, the role played by the Governor would simply be sign or don’t sign. The act of making public statements one way or the other is delving into the politics of the matter and the Governor is supposed to be apolitical or above the politics.
This plays well for our politicians for we always need someone to blame, we never accept responsibility for anything happening during our watch. Formerly, it was Curaçao and now everything seems to point to the Dutch and their creation called the CFT. We forget to let the people know that these are agreements we made and after not being able to balance a budget in five years feel the need to cast the blame around. While we are seeking creative ways to bleed our people for the 15 million needed to balance the budget, and who knows what else for the outstanding debts to APS and SZV.
We would have the people believe that the 120 million we gifted an American multinational couldn’t make a difference. Interestingly, we blamed that on the receiver. And our unemployment, of course, is blamed on the education system that according to them doesn’t produce what the economy needs while we finance most if not all of these studies and boast of spending 33 per cent of our budget on education. Maybe in the coming year we could hear what kind of returns we get on such a huge investment.
We have refused to implement counterpart in the public sector, but are adamant that the private sector has to. We are afraid to consider a quota system to guaranty employment for our people for the campaign financiers won’t take that too lightly. We have over- loaded government departments with foreigners who do as they wish with absolutely no respect for our people. We make no effort to recruit and bring back our people, who have completed their studies, to contribute to the continued development of their country; and, if some return on their own they are told they don’t have experience.
The people we elect are insensitive and contemptuous towards their own; this island can better be called strangers’ paradise. Violent crime is going through the roof, but our ideas to deal with it, like most everything else, is hold a closed door meeting for the people doesn’t need to know. Unless our people make the connection between the election and the way they live or survive the ugly situation will continue.
Not being able to put food on the table, pay school fees or for the bare necessity of running water and electricity to your home in the 21st century is unacceptable, and you need to do more than just complain. The time to walk around in your country knocking on doors begging them to open is long gone; it’s time you kick the doors in. The new government might tickle your fancy with the actions of the Finance Minister and others; however, I still believe it’s wrong to put non-belongers into government, but then that’s me. So until next year, Merry Christmas and a most Prosperous New Year.
Elton Jones
