Dear Editor,
The possibility is great that many who read this letter will observe that I am discriminating. They have a right to their opinion and freely do so, but because it is continually being proven that the Government of Sint Maarten does not protect the interest of the Sint Maartener, someone has to speak up at times.
Too often when one voices one’s opinion in favor of the Sint Maartener one is accused of being against foreigners. Politicians over the decades have coined the phrase “if you are not for me you are against me” in order to play on people’s conscience. They continue to do so because it is effective.
Does that really mean if you vote for your brother the candidate that you are against your cousin the candidate? Equally so that if you are for the native that you are against the foreigner?
I know that the same is practiced throughout all the neighboring islands. Now that we have established that if I am for the Sint Maartener it does not mean that I am against the foreigner, let me state this. I read the article “APS to start the construction of 62 residential units this summer.” These developments will offer a return that will enable us to continue to pay the pensions to our participants, make a socio-economic contribution to the individual buyers and the economy of the country as a whole. APS hosted several sessions for potential buyers on the project over the past months. Active APS participants were encouraged to make use of the opportunity to gather information on this potential home ownership.
What I know is that there are a great deal more than 62 people, families, partners who are not Sint Maarteners or APS participants who can buy those homes for cash. What I also know is that it is APS (participants) money which is making it possible for these 62 residential units to be built.
Every time I read about the sale of real estate(homes, land) the Mullet Bay situation comes to mind. Based on what is written at the beginning of this letter I would hope that the APS management would use a method that will primarily keep the units in the hands of Sint Maarteners or APS participants.
Russell A. Simmons
