I would like to wish all of my fellow St. Maarteners a happy and prosperous new year. We are a country of diverse people, let that diversity be our strength this new year. Let’s learn from each other and grow together. Let us set the example that respect and kindness are the adhesive that binds our nation together. May we be mindful this year not just of our needs but of others’.
I have always argued that a sound education policy should be based on “a triad of effective teachers, involved parents, and committed students working from a curriculum explicitly designed to mould the whole child (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and culturally). The enterprise of nation-building in St. Martin cannot be carried out by ignoring the St. Martin national identity, which must be grounded in the St. Martin history and culture.”
It is truly sad to continue to experience the current horrible infrastructural state of our island’s affairs. Worse, it is ridiculous to see among others the quick road patchworks here and there, randomly executed, especially during elections and right after, works are halted due to lack of structural maintenance funds. Apparently, our collective tolerance capacity to accept this type of behaviour over and over again from our highly paid elected and appointed officials is enormous. How much longer?
St. Maarten is unique in that, as a small country, we have very little in common with the rest of the world in terms of our government structure and democracy. What we have at present can easily be considered a separate colonial status with no dissolution.
St. Maarten 2020 election getting nearer and early survey shows UP winning the January 9, 2020 election because it is proven UP won all the elections since 10/10/10, even when UP and DP formed the UD party, they got seven seats.
