Dear Editor,

  In his contribution, Mr. Tromp describes the challenges that the new CBCS president must face. We argue that the CBCS under the leadership of Mr. Tromp should have intervened when an obvious dubious transaction by the shareholder was forced.

  Mr. Tromp argues that the entity involved (Ennia) was financially healthy in 2018 according to CBCS. At that time, CBCS decided to intervene. This conclusion is formally correct according to the annual accounts of the entity. However, the latest annual report that was published relates to the book year 2016 and the annual reports for years 2017, 2018 and 2019 have not been published within the 6-month year-end deadline. Later it became public, however, that Ennia was not healthy at all.

  CBCS published a press statement in 2018 revealing that the private shareholder of Ennia had concluded a suspicious transaction by selling one of his properties to Ennia for a substantial price. This transaction was not in the interest of Ennia’s policy holders for many reasons:

  The valuation of such a property is very uncertain:

  No recent transactions of similar properties have taken place, making it hard to derive a reliable market value;

  The piece of land is located in a single location on a single island and therefore its valuation is very susceptible to changes in local circumstances;

  It is unclear whether the piece of land could be sold in individual pieces over time, which would reduce the risk of an unfavourable auction price at one point in time.

  In this case it appeared that the market value of the property ($49.7mln) is negligible as compared to the book value ($430.7mln). Was this transaction forced by the shareholder of Ennia only to pursue his own interests, at the cost of the policy holders?

  A substantial exposure in one single object within an investment portfolio is contrary to the principle of risk diversification. The property does not generate annual income, whereas the insurer needs 3-4 per cent per annum in order to increase its provisions to pay future benefits to policyholders.

  This investment lacks duration matching with the liabilities of the insurer, hence making the insurer vulnerable to changes (decreases) in interest rates.

  We conclude that CBCS under the supervision of Mr. Tromp failed by not voiding this transaction.

  We suggest that when Mr. Tromp really believes the piece of land is worth the book value, he “puts his money where his mouth is” and buys a piece of this land for the accompanying book value.

Servaas Houben and Ronald Ketellapper

Dear Editor,

  Unless there is some major event that alters the course of the ongoing presidential election campaigns, it will be high noon in the USA in November. Whether or not there are presidential debates, and chances are there won’t be any, no matter which candidate is declared the winner, the other one will, most probably, refuse to concede defeat, and his party will vigorously contest the declared result of the election. In the ongoing pandemic, exacerbated by the rampant violence on display in the streets of a number of US cities – all of them governed by the Democrats for the last 50 years or more – there is no telling how all of this will end.

  Both parties are marshaling their arguments and advocates in view of contesting the anticipated result of the election. If President Trump is declared the winner, the Democrats will, most certainly, accuse him and his Postmaster General of having weaponized the US postal service during a pandemic when voting via the mail was exceptionally necessary, crucially important. Conclusion: Republicans impeded the vote, the timely collection and processing of mailed-in ballots which accounts for the skewed result in their favor.

  If former V.P. Joseph Biden is declared the winner, Republicans will argue that Democrats, a number of their governors in particular, used the pandemic to game the system by enacting state legislation which enabled “ballot harvesting,” massive voting irregularities and fraud with the complicity/assistance of partisan unionized postal workers. Conclusion: the Democrats deliberately undermined the mail-in voting process by enacting state voting laws that facilitated massive illegal voting; they weaponized the postal system, subverted/corrupted the result.

  Unlike the month-long legal battle in 2000 that led to the Supreme Court 5-4 decision in “Bush v. Gore, 531 U.S. 98” that ended the recount of the vote in Florida, and declared G.W. Bush the winner; unlike that battle, this time around, there will be no such feasible way of proceeding with a recount of votes. The SCOTUS may not be able to settle this deadlock except through a much longer, more complicated recount of votes in several states.  This time around, there will, most likely, be a much longer, much fiercer legal dispute than in 2000, a more entrenched battle with words while real battles rage in the streets of a number of cities throughout the nation. And when the law (battling with words) fails to settle a dispute, the age-old recourse is violence.

These are trying times indeed. Hell is empty! All of its devils have migrated here, on earth, where they are busy sowing havoc everywhere, and, lately, nowhere more so than amongst people in the Land of Liberty, the USA. The late great philosopher Will Durant opined that “the proletariat, instead of dictating, will disappear (Fallen Leaves, 2014, p. 154). It has disappeared, alright but, not before its madness, like a virus, had migrated from “the masses” to “the very few”: to “the elites.” The elites have replaced the proletariat in that old destructive quest; in that demented journey; in that delusional search for Utopia. 

  True Democrats – everywhere – must hope that, in November 2020, Americans will rescue democracy from the Globalists’ pipe dream of a plutocratic oligarchy: government of the US and the world by so-called elites; by a small group of people of great wealth and influence. They are assisted stealthily, furtively, mongoose-like by Globalist Corporate America; by the US Chamber of Commerce; by the US Military-Industrial-Congressional Complex (MICC); by elements of the US Intelligence Community and by George Soros’ minions of mindless predator worker bees – the American mass media particularly.

Gérard M. Hunt   

Dear editor,

  From the moment people hear “minority” they think of a particular race or gay group or some other kind of special interest group. But this topic is about the real smallest minority which has nothing to do with gender, race or creed. The smallest minority is those people that made the personal choice to let Christ be their master, Lord and savior. You might think and say, “No, that is the majority.” But that is not true. And now I will explain you who are the smallest minority.

  The few people that put Jesus Christ before government , community and friendship and do not tolerate intentional disobedience to Christ are those that the world hates and will reject because their lifestyle does not go along to get along and as loving as they are to all people they do not compromise on values. They will tell you respectfully why they will not go along to get along, and that is an offense to the world. From the moment you start to say “thou shall not”, for the world that is an offense. That is the reason Jesus Christ was crucified; he wanted total commitment and the world rejected him because he was not going along with their agenda.

  The fact is, in this world presently when you oppose sin people begin to judge you and ask you who the hell you think you are? The smallest minority will always try to live absolutely to please Christ. The world system intentionally accepts some sin as a new alternative lifestyle. Therefor the smallest minority becomes the problem for the new world order to be established. They will be persecuted as haters and traitors for their absolute loyalty to Jesus Christ.

  Most so-called Christian are not part of the smallest minority, most of them accept and live comfortable in sin be it adultery, fornication, homosexuality and pedophilia, lying, child abuse. These so-called Christians are exactly the people who will turn and inform the new world order about the smallest minority who are obstructing the “go along to get along” process. Deception is what is happening all over the world. The masses of people are loyal to government but not to Christ. That is what the world expects of the new order, it is to reject Christ and government is your Lord and savior (Socialism, Communism, Marxist).

  Respect government, but they should never be more important than Christ. Only one master you can serve. Choices have consequences, choose wisely. Be part of the smallest minority.

The Patriot Miguel Arrindell

Dear Editor,

  Gradually I am noticing the increase in people approaching me to ask me questions in connection with the contents of the letters I write to you, while suggesting to me what I should write about. I would tell them that what I write is not the same as Mr. Kenneth Cook. As usual I would let them know that my thoughts are not the same as their thoughts. My inspiration is not the same as their inspiration, so the basis for my opinion would not be the same as the basis for their opinion, so I would not express myself with the same sentiment as you would express yourself in many situations. The automatic reaction would be “He didn’t write what I mean”.

  As we know, everyone has a right to his own opinion. So that means that everybody can do what they want? No, that will cause confusion. For an easier explanation let me refer to the Ten Commandments, which play a huge role in ordering the behavior of man (laws, admonitions and sanctions). As life progressed, the human being did other things that, thankfully the majority did not accept and so the law grew in order to maintain, which phrase is worldwide known as “law and order” in the land. Owing to civility the people of the community also have rights.

  Before I continue let me say that I have not verified it lately, but nevertheless again I am appealing to the Minister of Education to add Civics to the curriculum in schools starting at the fifth grade so that the youth of this country at a very young age could be acquainted with their basic rights and go from there. Yes, in the fifth grade already there are potential lawyers.

  There are too many people who do not dare act upon their thoughts because of the fear of limited knowledge, not knowing that common sense can carry one a long way in a mature conversation. Experience would make some people think creative, some analyze and some verbalize. If you get these three in a serious conversation, they probably might come up with ideas enough to run a town. Not too long ago I asked a young lady if she was aware that she also can ask Parliament questions and that she was entitled to answers. She was not sure what I was talking about. Hence my continuous plight for Civics.

  One of the rights of the people is, as we say in Dutch “recht van interpeallatie”, the right to ask questions. (Google it). I know some of the readers will say that (big)people can Google it also. Noooo. That is never the same as it being instilled in you from small. Yes, I know because I have heard it several times in the past. If you make certain things available to the general public then the criminal-minded ones will make bad use of it. This is Civics that I am referring to. The rights and duties of the people and how the country is governed. Beside that there are a great deal more civic minded people than criminals. So, let the majority rule. and do not let the criminal get away with wrongdoing, neither in or out of government.

  Sorry I got carried away for a while there.

  As you can see, the heading of this letter was “Assist the public”. I believe if I would say because of the drastic changes at the SZV for obvious reasons, in time and also in communication, which causes the telecommunication to be terrible, I would suggest that the SZV phone number also be changed to a number like the police emergency 911, TelEm helpdesk 611 and 914 etc,. Almost the complete telecommunication system is prepaid. Waiting to be attended to at SZV by phone is eating up the time on the prepaid cell phones as well as landlines. So, please, Ministers of Health and Telecommunication, assist the public.

  By the way the same should be done for all government instances which must be reached via telecommunication. I believe that if the lady in Curaçao at Maduro’s bank can help me with a problem at the Windward Islands Bank in St. Maarten, via telephone, that telecommunication problem at SZV should not be a problem. I was asked if I could not contact anybody at SZV concerning that. I had to smile because that is exactly the problem – problem to get in contact. And because I am trying to stay safe, I stay home as much as possible

Russell A. Simmons