Dear Editor,
Many years ago there was a board of directors that took the decision to build a new airport building and they approved the plans to build the airport building. They would have appointed expensive architects and suppliers that resulted in the airport building we have today. No doubt the architects presented magnificent and awe-inspiring drawings and promised “state of the art” equipment and user experience. We would guess the board of directors was awed and impressed.
In order to build the airport deep commitments had to be made to achieve the necessary financing.
Finally a new building was constructed and in a massive hurricane called Irma the majority of the roof blew off.
What would have happened if on that board of directors there was one of these old down- to-earth St. Maarteners who refused to be impressed and would not agree to the design and construction unless there was a ring beam and a concrete roof? What if such an individual had stood his ground and made the simple calculation that in our hurricane-threatened area it made no sense to house such expensive equipment and fine finishes unless you had the very best in hurricane-resistant roofs? To the best of my knowledge not one concrete roof blew off in Irma.
Were that to have happened the consequences of Hurricane Irma on the economy of St. Maarten would have been significantly different. How can we get decision-making that is grounded in the reality of St. Maarten? How can we avoid decision-making that is excessively influenced by the presentations of sophisticated foreign entities that are able to make their offering sound “awesome” and “sophisticated” but do not fully take into account the conditions on the ground here in St. Maarten?

Robbie Ferron

Dear Editor,

So small but significant story on the front page yesterday: “Sonesta Getting Ready To Build.” Good news for everybody – 1,000 jobs, lots of tax revenue (maybe) and a real flagship property. Good for Sunwing and everybody involved.

Except maybe for the people that live nearby like me. I recognize understand and respect Sunwing’s right to build. I understand Government’s bending over backwards to get it done. There is a lot of money involved going in all sorts of directions. That’s just life and commerce.

What I am having a bit of trouble with is the transparency of the project. There is supposed to be a period of time for “objection” where the public and interested parties can see the drawings and having something to say if they feel they are being hammered in some way.

It seldom does any good and, in a case like this where enough money has changed hands in all conceivable directions, almost a zero percent chance of doing any good, but you never know. It might be that one case in 1,000 where a court or whoever is in charge of such things says, “Yes, it really is a bad idea for them to build a 22-story building 1 meter away from the front wall of your house. Let’s see if we can do something about that.”

But it seems like no one around here will ever get that chance. Apparently the drawings and plans have been deemed a state secret and are not available for inspection unless you get a certain letter from a certain minister whose office is open about 3 minutes a month and if you happen to get in during that three-minute span you discover that he has been on vacation since 1996 and hasn’t signed any such letter since he got there anyway.

The notice of the building permit and objection period is apparently supposed to be published in the “National Gazette.” It took me a while to find out what that even is and I have watched it like a hawk since. No announcement about permits and plans has been published that I ever saw. No surprise to me really. Never ask questions that you don’t want the answers to.

So now I come to Keith and Stuart Johnson (no relation). Keith and I know each other for a long time, having had a lot of conversations over the years that went mostly like, “GEEZE, Keith, is that DJ going to scream all day?” and “GEEZE, Keith, is that music going to go on until dawn every Friday and Saturday?” so I don’t figure he is going to do me any favors and I don’t know Minister Johnson at all.

Having said that, I call on them directly and publicly to be honest, open and forthright with those neighbors whose property values you are about to reduce by 50 per cent. Show us the drawings. Make them publicly available for inspection and comment without having to jump through flaming hoops and traveling to The Hague to do it.

You know you have nothing to lose. Even if we hate what you are going to do you know full well that no one has the budget to fight you. You would have to be doing something incredibly outrageous for any court on this island to even consider giving you a hard time and no one , especially not me, is going to pay Jelmer 400 an hour just to get told that whatever you are doing is “best for the island” so just go away.

Having said that, I really would like to know how high this thing is going to be, what kind of hindrance permits and limits you are getting for the unbearable noise that will be non-stop and how far to the West the new building will extend so I can discover where my deck, instead of looking out into the ocean, will now look into the bedroom window of some tourist on the 8^th floor. If you are going to destroy my property value and my life savings and 20 years work along with it, I would like to know and maybe I can sell it off before it’s too late.

I’m calling you out, Keith and Stuart. If you have nothing to hide, if you are proud of what you are doing then show us the drawings. And do it before the time limit expires … or is that why you announced yesterday? Did the time limit for objection expire last week and now it’s safe to talk about it? Or is that just me being cynical?

Steven Johnson

Dear Editor,

Minister of Health Mr. Lee is doing a good job, as is Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Mr. Giterson.

But the people don’t understand – a coal kiln is the dump and the reason I say that is, my mother used to burn them.

I worked for years with the government and I used to say that that volcano we are making is going to cost the lives of many, big and small, but because it is coming from a small person’s mouth they can’t hear me.

Get the big pump; use the water from the pond and wet it from the bottom, because the fire is in the bottom. Keep it wet, it is going to help until they get it out. But nobody is listening.

I am sick and on my way out, but what about my grandchildren and your own and family. Just try it.

It must be hurting the Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI to see the dump on fire. When I was still working I saw a big poster at the entrance of Pond Island. Everybody talked and got on that the leader wanted the money and all kinds of stupidness.

I check on everything that is happening to our people even though I am homeless after Irma. More than 800 people died after Irma, are we counting? More are going to Santo Domingo and Colombia for medical reasons and we are wondering if the dump is killing more of us.

I know Minister Lee is trying his best. He can’t sleep at night because of this. Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Mr. Giterson the same. It is not easy, it is worse than ever.

Please try what I say and see for yourself. Try it in a pan of sand and put water to run in it and see what I say.

So, more people will sick of all the smoke from yesterday to now.

Lord, help your people. I have this little thing I have to ask. Throughout the history of humanity there have always been people who feared God and questioned His justice. Why do the evil get rich while good people live in misery? Why do the dishonest enjoy success while the honest go without the basics of life?

So, people of St. Maarten, keep on the wings of faith like an eagle. The ministers are going to find out what to do and fast. Keep in God’s hand.

Avril Gumbs

Today is a day I'd like to forget

But all the forgotten

Are wailing from the belly

Of the sea

From the eerie silence

Of the earth above them

They all shout out

Like the swearing winds

Of Irma: Remember us

At least today.

How many of you fell

Into the tsunami waves

Of that monster from hell?

How many found in the coffins

Of their vessels

When Simpson Bay became a cemetery for seafarers?

Can anyone tell me

How many were butchered

By the sharp teeth of zinc

While seeking to save

Their grandmothers?

Or dragged mercilessly away

As they clutched the hands

Of their loved ones?

Today is a day I want to forget

But the moribund voices

Of the forgotten

Are telling me to remember

For we who survived

Have turned cowardly beggars

Waiting for the crumbs of bread

Massa believes is too much

For us to handle by ourselves.

Those Irma in her fury

Took away to reunite

With the ancestors

Deep deep down

Beneath the raging sea

Want to know

If the loss of a roof,

The loss of a house

The loss of a job,

Is greater

Than the loss of their lives.

Today is a day I'd like to forget

But I'm reminded

That those who forget

To remember their dead

Really have little

To live for.

                                                By Fabian Badejo