Dear Editor,
St. Maarten people, over the years, have grown stronger in their belief in democracy that is in direct contrast to communism theocracy or anarchy. We also believe our leaders to be honourable and respectable persons. The events of the last few years of total Dutch intervention months of ongoing investigations and weeks of incarcerations is beginning to take its toll on our democratic belief and psyche.
Firstly we don’t seem to be able to get the truth from our politicians. And added thereto the continued emphasis on political gamesmanship where we set out to outdo or outlast our adversary with nothing but nonsensical spin. The latest point is the proposed sewage processing plant financed by the E.U. The present government accuses the past administration of illegal deals with Port de Plaisance in the land swap for a streak of land in the vicinity of the Causeway for beach property at Simpson Bay east (Kim Sha).
PdP would be getting prime property in exchange for a piece that is in actuality useless besides which they will be able to encircle a beach making it virtually private and setting up yet another pre-apartheid South African boom controlled area in free-for-all St. Maarten.
The past government believes that its successor is political pandering to its base (truckers and heavy equipment operators) by agreeing to fill in more of the lagoon. To we the people what is seen is pretty clear. Some months ago sand was being trucked from the harbour to an area to the north of the airport above the Red Cross. We were told that it has to do with the airport expansion only to find out that statement was untruthful. It was done by the Harbour Group of Companies and now we see boats mooring there and like times before we won’t be able to have them removed.
As history shows us with character beach bar set up totally and build without a permit and only when they tried to build a retaining wall government chose to step in. Of course our liberal colonial courts decided we couldn’t move them. As for the filling or constructing of an islet in the lagoon to accommodate the plant we would like to know why it cannot be done on land on the French-side adjacent to the border or on an islet that already exists in the lagoon.
As noted before the lagoon is rapidly disappearing and it should not be left up to a few unscrupulous politicians and ignominious leaders to decide on necessity of our inland waters. It would seem that the French State with whom this project is negotiated are very protective of their patrimony but have no problem when our “leaders” readily agree to either sell or destroy the little we have left.
Not too long ago a boat called the Yellow Bird that normally offers lagoon cruises was prevented from visiting the French side because they off loaded their garbage in the bins at the marina. I tried to verify if this was really the reason but could not get the information. What I know is its unfortunate because this cruise is quite a tourist attraction and also brings shopping business to Marigot during the stop over.
Political reform will benefit our leaders only we need to know that we will still have a country in the end and if it is our intention to fill the lagoon beyond recognition. The people also have a right to know if they can visit the beach called Kim Sha in the future and not be obstructed like they are with boulders at Mullet Bay or the Forth at Divi Little Bay.
Government knows or ought to know that a beach overloaded with tourists offers no room for the local population and moreover the ugly booms belong in another place and another time.
Elton Jones
