Dear Editor,
I wonder if it was not in connection with the upcoming elections that we would have read about the petition for an urgent meeting concerning Pearl of China. When it was first publicly mentioned, I reacted by noting that I do not think that that project is necessary right now, and that we should upgrade and manage what we already have in the correct way. I also mentioned that we should replace the illegal employees with unemployed Sint Maarteners.
So, let me reiterate we have to establish who a Sint Maartener is. You did not quote me, but in your editorial Existing Commitments you ended with: Before dreaming up new ways to spend public funds, it would be advisable to first fully meet existing commitments. And again, that wry smile on my face. That smile replaces what my father always reminded me of. I should never want to say I told you so. I smiled because "dreaming up new ways" and "fully meet existing commitments" reminded me of my way of assessing the situation.
Talking about assessing , I would l like to know that since it is already known that 400 jobs will be available, if in conjunction with the Labour Department assessment is being made of how many unemployed Sint Maarteners would come in consideration for a job at Pearl of China?
And also there should not be any excuse about qualification, because there is time enough between now and opening date to school our people and bring them up to par. I also mentioned that the president of Parliament should be ashamed to have us believe that she did not know anything about Pearl of China. The term banana republic was also mentioned and here again we are asking for an urgent meeting, because Members of Parliament do not even know anything about a new hotel that is about to be built in the country they run.
Yes, that they run (at least on paper) because if they know the content of the Constitution, and the Rules of order of Parliament, and other authorizations of Parliament there should never have been a ground breaking without the OK of Parliament. This is why more and more I feel strong in my quest to replace all the existing members of Parliament, because they have not learned anything from the last embarrassment that Parliament passed through, after throwing down the Marcel Gumbs government. None of them went back to the drawing board.
We are about ten years in a predicament with that White Elephant, in which the leaders of the four parties in government strongly seem to be involved, also five going on six years with a new country status and continuously Members of Parliament are proving their incompetence. Out wid dem.
If they go to work every day as they are being overpaid to do, they would be able to acquire legislation and other documentation on what transpires in what should be a transparent government. So it is their fault. The same way they use the Opinion page to their advantage, (which I often doubt) instead of representing the people in a dignified manner in Parliament, they should use it (Opinion page) to the benefit of the people and let us know about the wrong things that are happening in government.
But no. "If you don't tell on me, I will not tell on you" is prevalent among them, until one does not get his or her share. Note I did not say due, because their due is already in their pay. Even two years after they are not reflected.
I have worked for 41 years, and now, ten years after, I am still paying taxes and they go in for four years and get two extra years’ salary for not doing anything. The proof is there, and I will continue to challenge all, and I repeat all of them, to show me one iota that they have done for the betterment of life for the people of Sint Maarten. We still do not know the ins and outs of the Causeway, but we are paying for it; our pension money is being used to bail out the white elephant, but our pension cannot raise.
There is the building of a new hospital in the pipeline for which, again, we have to pay. The Vorst land saga is not over yet, but we the people are still in line to pay for that. Again that wry smile, because I am pondering if that could be part of the reason for throwing down the Marcel Gumbs government.
The term "endorsing" is used in general during elections to determine whose policies one favours. But because voting is still secret, which I greatly respect, I will not say who I will vote for, but I endorse Claude "Chacho" Peterson. I like what I hear and read from him. Voting should always remain secret so that every Member of Parliament should feel obliged to represent every member of the community.
Because only citizens with Dutch nationality, eighteen years and older, who are not prohibited to vote for whatever reason, can vote. It is imperative that children and the legally employed, etc., and definitely those who openly campaigned for a party which is not supporting the government, should also be represented.
I would recommend, especially those of us who have been loyal to certain political parties and have not seen any progress, to vote for a new candidate. Out wid them. Out with the old and in with the new. We need completely new leaders in this country.
Russell A. Simmons
