Dear Editor.
We have been coming to St. Maarten/St. Martin for about 16 years and we’re writing because we want to see the island succeed and continue getting stronger. Thank you for publishing “Of National Interest,” an editorial drawing attention to the exceedingly long time that it took for visiting passengers to get through airport Immigration last week.
We were in that crowd at the airport that your paper photographed last Friday afternoon. The line wound from the tarmac and around the building, stacked eight deep in a rope line slowly snaking toward only three Immigration booths that were available in a small, unwelcoming space inside. Each booth had two officers each, and one of the booths was devoted to residents until all were moved through. There were no welcoming or informational signs or explanations for the delay.
For us, the process took one hour and 20 minutes. We know the Princess Juliana Airport and The Friendly Island can do better than this because we were here four months after Hurricane Irma. Devastation in the formerly beautiful roof-damaged airport was worse at that time, but arriving and departing passengers were moved through separate large tents with relative efficiency. Last Friday, the airport arrival situation was off-putting, especially for new visitors, and it is disappointing to read that it is not an unusual occurrence.
Another concern that needs to be addressed: Lack of lighting at night on the beachside boardwalk. Nothing bad has ever happened to us on the beach, even before the boardwalk was built and extended around the bend toward the boat docks. But for new visitors, the lack of lighting deters people from visiting restaurants – some of which have closed, unfortunately, in recent months. In our state, Michigan, our current governor won the election by promising to “Fix the damn roads!” I hope that voters in the next snap election will find and support new leaders who will “Fix the damn lights!” This should not be difficult or expensive to do.
While we’re on the subject of making visitors feel welcome – what’s with the wrecked vehicles, trucks, and now a dilapidated green passenger airplane fuselage on the walking path from the cruise ship dock? Bobby’s Marina, we’re looking at you. Please get rid of the wrecks, fix the fence, and clean up the walking path a bit. First impressions matter.
St. Maarten/St. Martin is now competing with large island parks, such as Labadie (Haiti) and Perfect Day at Coco Cay (Bahamas), built by international cruise companies with Oasis class ships. Those experiences are fun too, but this island has hills, varied beaches, wonderful restaurants, shops, two unique national cultures and other attractions that the other islands do not have. Some creative island promotion and signs directing people to things like the two new zip lines and other attractions would help immensely.
We are very pleased to see all the progress that has been made since Hurricane Irma. And it was good to see the St. Maarten/St. Martin Day parade down Front Street, the 12 Metre Regatta racing with three boats again, fresh paint everywhere, new shops and even the yellow classic car replacing the Irma-smashed one that was sitting in the middle of Old Street last time we were here. Please continue the progress, St. Maarten/St. Martin – our Land of Sun & Sailboats. We love you and will be back again soon.
Elaine and Terry Donnelly,
Livonia, Michigan, USA
Dear Editor,
The administration of the Trust Fund by the World Bank continues to generate much discussion and tension. And while the recent report by the Ombudsman, titled “Home Repair – A Revelation of a Social Crisis” zooms in on deeper social issues than solely housing, that report as well highlights the dire circumstances of several persons in need of urgent help with their homes.
It could be coincidence that not too long after this report by the Ombudsman was presented, the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) organized a meeting for applicants in the home repair program.
What matters most to me is whether these applicants have received any definite word as to their status. Are they all eligible? When will they get the help? What percentage cannot be assisted?
While in my opinion this project is one of the most important social projects of the Trust Fund, there are other questions regarding Trust Fund projects and programs.
On October 24, I therefore requested a meeting of the Committee of General Affairs of Parliament to receive this update from the NRBP and the respective Ministers.
Another topic of concern are the funds available to St. Maarten in the context of the European Development Programs. There seem to be some serious bottlenecks and it is not clear if the deadlines for these projects will be met.
Sarah Wescot-Williams
Member of Parliament
Sixty years ago, the founding fathers of St. Martin Day – Dr. Hubert Petit, Claude Wathey and Clem LaBega – conceived of this day as a celebration of the people, by the people and for the people. Alas, that whole idea has been hijacked. This is what Dr. Hubert Petit had to say about what happened:
“… Gradually, they (the colonial authorities) took over the celebration of St. Martin Day and they changed everything. We St. Martin people believed we had a day belonging to us, but in reality, they took it back from us. … The spirit that existed at that time does not exist anymore. At that time, it just had a small population and we all were St. Martin people; we knew each other and we celebrated happily.”
Dr. Petit was speaking on a televised interview with Elton Richardson of the St. Martin In Retrospect program many, many rains ago. But his words apply just as much today, or probably even more so.
It is very clear that originally, St. Martin Day was a people’s fete. Unity is what we are supposed to be celebrating, not the division of the island.
The true spirit of St. Martin Day should therefore not die after we have delivered all the sweet-sounding speeches on November 11. This ritual needs to be rooted in the very dreams and aspirations of our people for a St. Martin that belongs to all of us.
If we were able to see ourselves in this manner, no decision would be taken in Great Bay without consultation with Marigot and vice versa. Let me give a concrete example.
The controversial PPRN affects not only our brothers and sisters in Sandy Ground, Grand Case and Lamijo, but also several St. Martin people in Great Bay, Dutch Quarter and Simpson Bay who have family ties that stretch across the artificial borders.
The reverse is also true; whatever the fate of Princess Juliana International Airport may be, it would affect all of us equally because it is the international gateway for the entire island, employing people from both sides of the island.
This island is ours because we built it with our blood, sweat and tears; it is ours because our forefathers and foremothers worked it from salt pond to salt pond; from valley to hilltop; from sun-up to sundown; a chant of freedom on their lips; salty sweat on their brows, dripping down their bodies with the sun as the promise of a better day for us their offspring.
We should therefore not allow anybody, no matter where they come from, to divide us and take over what is ours. St. Martin is ours by history and heritage; it is ours by dint of hard work and by divine destiny.
We stand on this Rock we call home and shall not be moved from it, so help us God!
Happy St. Martin Day!
Chairman of Parliament William Marlin
Dear Editor,
I will try to keep this article professional and simple as possible.
Respect to all the new faces and people who may have good intentions that postulate themselves on a political party.
From the present political parties to all new political parties, they cannot define what makes them different.
Lesson number 1: To understand any problem you must identify the problem or else you cannot tackle or rectify it if you do not know where and what is the problem.
Lesson number 2: How you approach and how you tackle the problem defines how you see it. (That is what makes political parties different).
The difference is called ideology. In social studies, a political ideology is a certain set of ethical ideals, principles, doctrines, or symbols of a social movement, institution, class or large group that explains how society should work and offers some political and cultural blueprint for a certain social order.
Lesson number 3: Your political party should explain how you would like St. Maarten to be, and why your ideology is the ideology to make St. Maarten successful.
Lesson 4: Your platform (manifesto) should explain how your party ideology plans to rectify the financial issues and social issues and define your party’s patriotism to St. Maarten.
Lesson 5: The members of the party should in principle agree with at least 80 percent of the party platform or else you do not have a political party. This is the key to avoid ship-jumping.
Lesson 6: Every member should explain him- or herself to the party if their intentions are to serve in the executive branch (Council of Ministers) or the in the legislative branch (Parliament of St. Maarten).
Lesson 7: Every member should sign an agreement that loyalty is to the party and not their personal goals, and every party should present that agreement to the voters of St. Maarten.
Lesson 8: Every party member should study the constitution and explain to their party which part of the constitution they feel can be amended or what can be added to provide a better quality life to the people of St. Maarten. Why this is important, this defines who you are (character) as a person.
Lesson 9: Every party member should make clear to his party if he or she believes St. Maarten should stay indefinitely with the Dutch Kingdom or should it set a goal to be independent with a specific time frame.
Lesson 10: What is your party’s view of the definition on who is a St. Maartener and does your party intend to prescribe it in St. Maarten constitution.
The main 2 political ideologies are Conservative or Liberal. Conservatism is a political and social philosophy promoting traditional social institutions in the context of culture and civilization. The central tenets of conservatism include tradition, organic society, hierarchy, authority, and property rights. Liberalism combines ideas of civil liberty and equality with support for social justice and a mixed economy.
Conservatives believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional values and a strong national defense. Conservatives believe the role of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals. Liberals believe government should provide more services to the less fortunate (like health care) and increase taxes if necessary. High-income earners should pay a larger percentage of their income as taxes.
The conclusion, it is the party’s responsibility to convince the electorate why their ideology is better for St. Maarten and point out the differences between their party and other parties. This gives the reason why your party is needed. Choices have consequences, political parties choose people with same value and ideology.
The Patriot Miguel Arrindell
Dear Editor,
I would like to congratulate University of St. Martin (USM) on its upcoming 30th Anniversary celebration on November 16. Our local university came a long way in its thirty years of existence. USM has graduated more than 750 alumni, who hold key positions in the public and private sectors of St. Maarten. USM has produced some of St. Maarten's top Directors, Managers and Leaders within our community. I am proud to have been associated with USM and a faculty member for more than 25 years.
USM’s major strength is its students who can go anywhere in the world from here and excel at top universities, and Ivy Leagues around the globe. I find it amazing for a non-accredited university, that our students can go anywhere from here with their credits and excel at other top universities as the best in their class. That's a fact!
Mr. Editor, all USM wanted in its thirty years of existence is for our local government to recognize its own national institution of higher learning on the island. I can't understand why any island/country would not recognize its own institution of higher learning, and put a structural solution in place for funding, instead of injecting bits of funding which can't finance the curriculum and educators to run a full accredited university.
What happened to the long overdue draft tertiary ordinance to recognize our university? The first question any outside business would ask USM while marketing abroad is, "Are you recognized by your local government?" which they can't answer.
Education should be legislators’ and government’s top priority. The educational system of a nation is the foundation for building any nation.
We need to reignite the vision of the founders of why USM was established, such as the late Dr. Claude Wathey and Ambassador Dr. Husang Ansary. We need to get back to the vision, instead of being all over the place with the future development of USM.
I also would like to know why our co-founder, Ambassador Dr. Husang Ansary, is donating millions to other universities in the United States, instead of helping to further develop our own local university that he helped co-found? USM should be the future corner stone to educate our people to become leaders of the 21st century within our community. Education must be a top priority!
In closing, I pray to God that the sooner the better, we get it right with the right vision and put a structural solution and funding in place to recognize our own local institution, USM.
Maurice Lake
